{"id":1584,"date":"2019-08-08T09:07:13","date_gmt":"2019-08-08T09:07:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/?p=1584"},"modified":"2019-08-08T09:07:13","modified_gmt":"2019-08-08T09:07:13","slug":"liverpool-football-club-2019-2020-season-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/liverpool-football-club-2019-2020-season-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"Liverpool Football Club 2019-2020 Season Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Every year I do a preview of the season to come just before it gets underway. I talk about the various competitions and explore how I think things will go, which rather obviously opens me up to ridicule when things don\u2019t pan out even close to how I think they might. As an example, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/liverpool-football-club-2018-2019-season-predictions\/\">here\u2019s what I said the 2018-2019 would look like<\/a>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Premier League: Winners<\/li>\n<li>Champions League: Quarter-Finals<\/li>\n<li>FA Cup: Semi-Finals<\/li>\n<li>League Cup: Winners<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Football, as they say, makes fools of us all. Admittedly I wasn\u2019t too far off with my Premier League shout and if not for the richest club in world football I\u2019d have got it spot on. I couldn\u2019t have foreseen that we\u2019d get Chelsea in the League Cup or Wolves away in the FA Cup, of course, both of which were arguably the toughest matches we could have been handed outside of Manchester City. I also thought that we would focus on the Premier League at the expense of the Champions League, but in the end we didn\u2019t need to.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-1525\" src=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Trophy-Bus-533x400.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"533\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Trophy-Bus-533x400.jpg 533w, https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Trophy-Bus-267x200.jpg 267w, https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Trophy-Bus-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/Trophy-Bus-65x50.jpg 65w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 533px) 100vw, 533px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m fully aware, therefore, that I might well end up looking moronic again this time next year, but at least you know I\u2019ll own up to my mistakes. All we can do is read the tea leaves of what\u2019s to come and use our instincts. I\u2019ve deliberately left it until as close to the start of the season as possible because I wanted to see how the team was looking after the likes of Mohamed Salah and Alisson Becker were back in the starting line-up. It\u2019s also worth pointing out that all of what follows is predicated on the idea that we don\u2019t suffer any major injury blows to the biggest players. If something I couldn\u2019t have predicted happens then all bets are off.<\/p>\n<h2>The Premier League<\/h2>\n<p>I have spent the summer crying out for signings. Unlike some, I don\u2019t have as much faith in the ability of our defence to remain fit and I\u2019m far from convinced that Rhian Brewster will be able to step up to the plate as seamlessly as J\u00fcrgen Klopp thinks he will, should one of the front three pick up an injury. On top of that I\u2019m also of the belief that Divock Origi is a decent goalscorer but not an excellent all-round player, meaning that we\u2019re light in that department for my liking. Even with all of that on the record, though, I don\u2019t take a pessimists view of how the league campaign is going to pan out this season. The idea that we\u2019ll \u2018struggle for top four\u2019, as I\u2019ve seen from some quarters, is clearly laughable. We were light years ahead of everyone but City last time out and I haven\u2019t seen any moves this summer to disabuse me of the notion that we still will be.<\/p>\n<p><div id=\"attachment_1391\" style=\"width: 336px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1391\" class=\"size-large wp-image-1391\" src=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Sev_tren_2016_3-326x400.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"326\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Sev_tren_2016_3-326x400.jpg 326w, https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Sev_tren_2016_3-163x200.jpg 163w, https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Sev_tren_2016_3.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 326px) 100vw, 326px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-1391\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Football.ua [<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0http:\/\/www.gnu.org\/copyleft\/fdl.html\">CC BY-SA 3.0 GFDL<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/3.0\">CC BY-SA 3.0 <\/a> or <a href=\"http:\/\/www.gnu.org\/copyleft\/fdl.html\">GFDL<\/a>], <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Sev_tren_2016_(3).jpg\">via Wikimedia Commons<\/a><\/p><\/div>What it comes down to, then, is whether or not Pep Guardiola\u2019s team can hit the same heights as last time out and whether or not we\u2019re able to keep pace with them. The likes of the UEFA Super Cup and the Club World Cup mean that we\u2019ve only got a couple of extra games to contend with but a lot of extra travel and energy that will be expending playing them. Can we return from Istanbul and Qatar still in touch with Manchester City? If so then I think we might just have the ability to pip them to the post this time out. Winning three league titles on the bounce is tough, even if you do have one of the best coaches in world football and the wealth of a nation behind you. The Cityzens will be desperate for a Champions League, so I can see them taking their eye off the ball once the latter stages of that come about. Plus, there\u2019s VAR for them to contend with this time around. It\u2019ll be close again, but we have got enough to beat them? I just don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Prediction: 2nd<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>The Champions League<\/h2>\n<p>Liverpool have been in European competition across three seasons since Jurgen Klopp joined the club towards the end of 2015 and have yet to lose a two-legged knockout tie. That is remarkable. Whilst opposition supporters say that he \u2018just gives good hugs\u2019 and laugh about his record in finals, the German is far more interested in getting to the finals in the first place. I do think that record has to come to an end at some point, though, and my suspicion is that it might well be this year. Just as City will have their eye on winning the European Cup, so too will the Reds be focussed on finally winning the Premier League and getting that monkey off our back.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-1110\" src=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/IMG_3186-533x400.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"533\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/IMG_3186-533x400.jpg 533w, https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/IMG_3186-267x200.jpg 267w, https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/IMG_3186-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/IMG_3186-65x50.jpg 65w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 533px) 100vw, 533px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s easy to forget that we were just inches away from crashing into the Europa League last season, but for a huge save from Alisson Becker against Napoli at Anfield. I think we should make it out of the group stage because we\u2019ll likely get a relatively easy draw, but what happens after that is anybody\u2019s guess. My instinct is that we make it the quarters or to the semis and I have an irrational fear that it will be Manchester City that knock us out this time. If we have the last laugh and win the league, however, then it would be a sacrifice that I\u2019m willing to make. As Champions of Europe we have to expect everyone to try that little bit harder to beat us, so I\u2019m looking forward to the challenge.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Prediction: Semi-Finals<\/strong><\/p>\n<h2>Domestic Cups<\/h2>\n<p>J\u00fcrgen Klopp doesn\u2019t care about the domestic cups. He just doesn\u2019t and the sooner we all realise that the less arguing there\u2019ll be if we crash out of them and someone says he should \u2018take them more seriously\u2019. He tried hard to win the League Cup during his first partial season at the club and I think he realised how mental it is that the semi-finals are split across two legs. Rather than give his all for that I think he\u2019d much rather be able to take his squad away again on a nice break and get them fit and firing in preparation for the run-in. Some moaned that we looked rusty last season when we came back from those breaks but I argued, correctly I believe, that he was looking at the long game and it very much paid off.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-849\" src=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/IMG_3780-300x400.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/IMG_3780-300x400.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/IMG_3780-150x200.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/IMG_3780-768x1024.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The only thing I\u2019m thinking about the two domestic cups this time around is that our squad looks a little big stronger. He\u2019ll definitely want to rotate pretty heavily, but now he\u2019ll be choosing from the likes of Dejan Lovren, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez in his defence and any four of about eight in midfield. Once again it\u2019s the attacking players that might let him down, but it\u2019s also a chance for the likes of Brewster and Origi to prove where they are in the pecking order. Take chances and it\u2019s possible that we\u2019ll progress quite nicely without having to try too hard. Mainly, though, I think how we do in the FA Cup will depend on where we are in the league by the time it rolls around. If we\u2019re in touching distance of City then I think it will be sacked off, but if it looks like the league\u2019s already gone then some silverware is better than none at all.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Predictions: FA Cup Semi-Final, League Cup Fourth Round<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>For the record, I think the Super Cup and Club World Cup are glorified friendlies and the manager will treat them as such. I still think we\u2019ll win at least one of them, though.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Every year I do a preview of the season to come just before it gets underway. I talk about the various competitions and explore how I think things will go, which rather obviously opens me up to ridicule when things don\u2019t pan out even close to how I think they might. As an example, here\u2019s what I said the 2018-2019 would look like: Premier League: Winners Champions League: Quarter-Finals FA Cup: Semi-Finals League Cup: Winners Football, as they say, makes fools of us all. Admittedly I wasn\u2019t too far off with my Premier League shout and if not for the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1480,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1584"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1584"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1584\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1585,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1584\/revisions\/1585"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1480"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1584"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1584"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.andcouldheplay.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1584"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}