Season Preview: 2024/25
The new Premier League campaign is finally here, so what can we expect from Liverpool this term?
Here we go. The Premier League is back. The rollercoaster ride is about to start once again, and it isn’t scheduled to stop until next May. If you don’t feel like you’ve fully recovered from last season yet, join the club.
This is your annual preview of the new campaign. To be honest, I feel like I posted my review of the 2023/24 season just a few weeks ago, so let’s quickly revisit that piece to assess how things have changed over the summer.
When I put together my review after the final match of last term against Wolves, this was my conclusion:
On the training ground, Arne Slot must find a way of ensuring that Liverpool concede less next season, and if he wants to tick that box by toning down the Reds in attack, cool.
As for Richard Hughes, Michael Edwards and the guys upstairs, again, they will probably want to sign players who will somehow move the needle on the defensive side of the game.
If the coaches and the suits can combine by completing their respective tasks between now and August, evolution should follow.
So since I produced that piece, quite a few interesting things have happened on Merseyside, particularly on the training ground.
Let’s start with Slot’s end of the bargain. Now, I know he hasn’t taken charge of a single competitive match yet, but I genuinely think he’s passed every test with flying colours so far.
He comes across as a man who has consumed as much Liverpool as humanly possible over the past six months, because all of his takes on his team’s strengths and weaknesses have been absolutely on the money.
There’s been a recurring theme whenever he’s been asked about the Reds, with the Dutchman keen to talk about patience in possession. In simple terms, he wants his players to have more control, which is great because it hasn’t really been the case for two years now.
Indeed, in a recent interview with Liverpool’s official website, he said: “I think we’re trying to find the balance between trying to create chaos at certain moments and trying to keep possession of the ball a bit longer in other moments.”
Last season, Liverpool averaged more shots than any other team across Europe’s big five leagues with 20.6 per match. Only one other team in Premier League history has ever averaged more than 20 shots per match, and that was Chelsea under Carlo Ancelotti.
Creating shots is good, but Liverpool’s lust for the next chance fostered a lack of control towards the back end of Klopp’s tenure. Every player wanted to put his foot on the gas, and that is what Slot has been tackling by introducing a more measured approach to building attacks.
Our man talked to TNT Sports recently. You can watch the full interview here, but the below clip captures my favourite part of the chat. Slot is in the process of essentially taming his players.
I’m going to make an important statement now. I want you to read this next line twice. Slot ironing out the kinks in Liverpool’s possession game will improve the team’s defence more so than any new number six would on his own.
Sure, a peak version of Fabinho would be nice, but the biggest win achievable this summer was always going to come on the training ground. Liverpool’s general openness was more tactical than it was individual last term.
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