Question Time, Episode Two
How do Liverpool recover from a down season? What's the deal with Kevin Schade? And how much football do English clubs play compared to Champions League rivals?
The chat section of the newsletter contains a thread that is open for anyone to submit a question. You can view the previous entries here, feel free to add one.
The first episode in the Question Time series looked at Arsenal, the partnership between Hugo Ekitike & Alexander Isak (#jinx) and the success of Liverpool’s academy. It’s time to dig into a few more queries.
“Looking back at when Liverpool have struggled during a season, do they bounce back the next year? If so, has there been a pattern of changes made?”
This is an interesting question as we have some very pertinent examples in terms of the Reds’ level of performance, even if the explanation differs from season to season.
Liverpool have 58 points after 34 matches this season. Five years ago they had one fewer at this stage of the campaign, then one more in 2022/23. All three campaigns were disappointing, underwhelming, a struggle. They also all followed either a Premier League title win or a quadruple bid that went further than any before, since or maybe ever will.
The Reds have now finished in the top two of the table before tailing off badly the next season under Gerard Houllier, Rafa Benitez, Brendan Rodgers, Jürgen Klopp and Arne Slot. The club has rarely escaped a slump after a high. The comedowns are upsetting, the hangover lodges right behind your eyes.
The problems of 2020/21 were caused by an injury crisis. The squad didn’t change much before the next season - Gini Wijnaldum out, Ibrahima Konaté in - yet they were able to win two cups, finish second in the league and reach the Champions League final. The mid-season addition of Luis Díaz was useful too.
The demands of 2021/22 partly explain why the club found the next season so difficult. The midfield aged painfully almost overnight. They were replaced ahead of what became Klopp’s final campaign. Though not as impressive a recovery followed in 2023/24 as two years earlier, the Reds were top of the league in early April.
We can put the recent three struggling seasons (very broadly) down to injuries, legs going and a grief-drenched rebuild respectively. The solutions were players returning to fitness, younger players being bought and TBC.
This summer? A little of both solutions from the previous two problematic seasons could come into effect. Richard Hughes and Slot (both also TBC) will hope the players they bought last summer can retain fitness to actually play together, once Ekitike returns. Signing a red hot winger who can go past defenders in the way Mohamed Salah no longer can would measurably help too.
Look back at those former Liverpool managers above. The Reds of Houllier and Rodgers never fully recovered. Benitez left but would’ve struggled to engineer an upturn with the club approaching administration. Only Klopp has steered the ship back on course after hitting the rocks.
Slot’s reputation outside of his homeland may rest on him doing likewise. As a fan of Pep Guardiola, Liverpool’s manager should look to him for inspiration. Manchester City are potential title winners this term after only having 61 points after 34 matches last season.
“Hi mate, did you see Kevin Schade’s shot map this season? Explain that to me please.”
I hadn’t seen it. Having looked it up, I’m interested. Very interested. Maybe Liverpool should be too.
