It is common sense that 11 games into a season, no team can be judged to be champions elect, especially when there is only five points between 1st and 5th. Nor can players be truly judged (or criticized Jose). Nevertheless, the transformation Jürgen Klopp has overseen is clear when it comes to the performance of his team going forward. An admired figure on the sidelines, and a like-able character in press conferences, Klopp proved himself as a team builder and player developer at Borussia Dortmund, and is doing so once again with Liverpool.
Goals spread across the team
Runners up under Brendan Rodgers in the 2013/14 season, Liverpool had an unstoppable attacking force in Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, with the duo scoring just over 50% of the team's total tally of 101 league goals. Back to 2016, and Klopp now has a variety of midfield goalscorers including star performers Sadio Mané (6), Adam Lallana (3) and Phillipe Coutinho (5), alongside the newly positioned solo striker Roberto Firmino (5). The ever improving skipper Jordan Henderson, has maintained a pass accuracy of nearly 90% and sits in 1st place for passes completed in the league with 904 so far, only 35 less than his total tally from last season. James Milner has contributed with his 100% record from the penalty spot this season (4 in 4), and even Dejan Lovren has popped up with 2 goals from center back.
With all the goal scoring promise in his starting 11, it is no surprise that the German manager cannot provide consistent starts for Sturridge, or even the extremely promising young Belgian striker, Divock Origi.
Klopp's player development history
During his time at Borussia Dortmund, Jürgen Klopp played a major role in the rise of world class players Matts Hummels and Robert Lewandowski, teenage prodigy Mario Gotze, and Japan's Shinji Kagawa, among others.
At Liverpool he has injected consistency into Lallana, Henderson, and Nathaniel Clyne, and utilized the raw talents of Countinho and Firmino. It will be an incredible feet to replicate his back to back league titles in Germany between 2010 and 2012, but there is a winning spirit running through the team, evident in their crushing display against Leicester City, and close fought victories over Chelsea and Arsenal already this season.
Defensive Leaks
The younger Liverpool fans have been here before, and the wounds are still unhealed. The image of their beloved home grown star Steven Gerrard, reaching out for stability after a loose touch against Chelsea, overshadowed everything the team had achieved in the 2013/14 Premier League season. Fast forward three seasons and here Liverpool are sat top of the pack, but there is still room for concern.
Defensively, Liverpool have already conceded 14 goals from 11 games, which even newly promoted Middlesbrough can beat having only conceded 12. On the other hand, after 11 games Leicester City had conceded an astonishing 19 last season, and we all know where they finished up. Center back Joel Matip seems like a summer transfer steal with a price tag of £0, but even the 6 ft 5 in Cameroonian has only won 51.6% of aerial duels, and there seems to be little in the way of solid partnership at the back.
Dejan Lovren and Lucas Leiva are sharing the duties while Mamadou Sakho returns to fitness, but that has not stopped the transfer rumor mill spinning. There is talk of a possible partner for Matip being found in highly rated Jonathan Tah from Bayer Leverkusen, but only time will tell.
Kenny Dalglish was the last manager to win the league for Liverpool 26 years ago, and his name is held in high regard inside the walls of Anfield Stadium. From his time in England, there is every chance he can be the man to get the Merseyside team back to where many of their fans feel they should be, and he has asked his players to make sure that happens.
