Four reasons why Liverpool won’t win the Premier League
To get ready for the upcoming Premier League season, we at West of the Pond are doing a series of why each team from the top seven last year will not win the league this upcoming season. It’s a fun exercise to vent a little and to point out the weaknesses of each of the top clubs in the EPL. Catch our features on Spurs, Arsenal, and Manchester United here.
Liverpool has experienced a rise in recent years becoming a Champions League contender under manager Jurgen Klopp. They’ve become an exciting attacking side but thanks to inexcusable losses to bottom half sides, Liverpool has spent each year not living up to lofty expectations. As the poster child for potential unfulfilled, let’s look at why the Reds won’t win the Premier League this season.
Liverpool hasn’t done enough to improve the defense
Last season, Liverpool gave up 42 goals which was the most by a team that qualified for the Champions League and second worst of a team to finish in the top six. While that doesn’t constitute a bad defense, when Liverpool was also outscored by each team that finished above them, the margins are slim. This summer, Liverpool’s big defensive signing was Andrew Robertson of Hull City.
This leaves an awful lot of pressure on their incumbent defenders and relies on Joel Matip staying healthy for a full season to put out a viable defense. Unless the VVD saga takes a wild turn, Liverpool will be going into the season with light back line and extra games of stress expected from their defenders with Champions League. Not a great look for a title contender.
Lack of a recognizable striker
One of the hallmarks of the Liverpool attack is that any member of their front three of Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane can beat you at any time. The drawback here is that there is no true number one option to go to in crunch time or a danger man that teams have to adjust to. Now that Arsenal has gotten their man, Liverpool is the only team to finish in the top six to not have a clear go to option.
While this is a team game, having a striker that teams must ajust to opens space for everyone else and while Firmino is a great false nine, he isn’t that guy to strike fear into the opposition.
Barcelona raid incoming:
With Neymar having moved to PSG, their search for the next partner to Messi and Louis Suarez could reach Anfield. Coutinho has already been linked to a move to Barcelona and it seems even more likely that a move will go through now.
If Coutinho moves on, his spot will be a tough one to fill especially with Adam Lallana struggling for fitness. Coutinho is the chief creator for Liverpool and replacing his production at the very beginning of the season would be a monument task.
Lack of focus against bottom half teams
The top teams in the English Premier League thrive on the weak. The top teams in the league are expected to beat teams in the bottom half of the league while looking to nick points off of other teams in the top half. Liverpool was very good against teams at the top of the table taking points off of every top team with marquee wins over Chelsea, Spurs, and Arsenal.
But when it came to the teams that Liverpool should beat, they… struggled. It all began with a 2–0 loss to Burnley at Turf Moor (before we knew what kind of a fortress their home field would be but still) and continued with disappointing results against Crystal Palace, Leicester City, Hull and more. These are the gimme points that Liverpool must pick up over a brutal Premier League campaign and they failed to do it last season when it mattered.
Another season like that and Liverpool could find themselves not only out of title contention but out of the top four altogether. Your move Jurgen.
