LIVERPOOL, Dec 25, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Rafa Benitez’s return to Anfield on
Boxing Day is likely to stir memories of an unsuccessful Liverpool challenge
for the Premier League title, but Jurgen Klopp is trying to focus on the
present.
Klopp’s Liverpool hold a four-point lead at the top of the table as
Benitez, the club’s manager between 2004 and 2010, visits with his
relegation-threatened Newcastle United side on Wednesday.
There is a strong sense this could be the season that the English league
trophy comes to Anfield for the first time since 1990, although recent
history is offering mixed messages as to whether that will happen.
First, the good news for Liverpool: In eight of the past 10 seasons, the
leaders on Christmas Day have gone on to win the Premier League.
Now, the bad news: On the two occasions it did not happen, the Christmas
leaders were Liverpool. In 2008/09, Manchester United won the title; in
2013/14 it was Manchester City.
The late collapse to miss out in 2014 was perhaps the more immediately
painful experience for Liverpool fans, but the failure of 2009, under
Benitez, maybe offers more reason for regret. Both cases offer lessons that
the Merseyside club, however, appear to have absorbed.
Brendan Rodgers’ team of 2013/14 were not as balanced as the side current
Reds boss Klopp has now.
While Rodgers had an outstanding attacking partnership, with Luis Suarez
supported by a fully-fit Daniel Sturridge, his men were defensively suspect.
The then Liverpool manager had four senior centre-backs — Martin Skrtel,
Daniel Agger, Mamadou Sakho and Kolo Toure — yet struggled to settle on a
first-choice pairing. A team who scored 101 league goals conceded a whopping
50; far too many for any side with serious championship ambitions.
– ‘Influential’ Van Dijk –
The class of 2018/19 should avoid that trap; they have the Premier
League’s best defensive record this season, with only seven goals conceded.
Virgil van Dijk’s influence has been key; the centre-back, signed for o75
million ($94.5 million) from Southampton last January, has provided the
defensive leadership that Liverpool missed badly following Jamie Carragher’s
retirement in 2013.
“He’s very influential,” Klopp said of Van Dijk.
“When I met him first, I thought I knew about his personality, I was pretty
sure he would be like he is.
“After we lost 4-1 at Tottenham in October of last season, we started
defending better and conceding less but then Virgil came in on top.”
Liverpool’s solid defending means they do not have to score as freely to
win games, although they are coming up with the goals when needed.
Mohamed Salah, after a quiet start to the season, is thriving after being
switched from a wide position to a central attacking role. His total of 11
Premier League goals is only one fewer than Arsenal’s Pierre-Emerick
Aubameyang, the competition’s leading scorer.
Yet despite that quality, avoiding the fate of the 2008/09 Liverpool team,
managed by Benitez, might still need a little luck to go the way of Klopp’s
men.
That side, containing a spine of Pepe Reina, Carragher, Xabi Alonso, Javier
Mascherano, Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, was strong enough to be
champions, but suffered from a lack of adequate back-up.
Too many draws against lowly opponents proved costly too, with Stoke,
Fulham, West Ham and Hull all coming away from Anfield with a point.
Certainly, while Liverpool have the versatile attacking talent of Xherdan
Shaqiri to call on if they lose one of their main forwards, and good quality
options in midfield now that Fabinho and Naby Keita have found their feet,
they may struggle if anything happens to Van Dijk. Perhaps that is why Klopp
has not ruled out signings in January.
“I keep the door open because if something happens then we will need to
have a look, as there are monstrous numbers of games coming and that’s really
important that we can react,” said the German.
“But it’s all good, unless something dramatically changes.”