While winning two trophies would be seen by most clubs as a successful year, Liverpool’s squad might still be thinking about what might have been last season.
It has been a tough start to the new campaign without a win in their first three Premier League games and perhaps a cloud is hanging over the Reds after the dramatic end to last season.
A Cruel End to a Wonderful Campaign
With the League Cup and FA Cup already in the bag, Liverpool were approaching the end of last season with the chance of an unprecedented quadruple. The Reds, who are 7/1 when you bet on football to win the Premier League title this season, managed to overcome Chelsea in both cup finals at Wembley. Many football tips from industry experts expected Liverpool to lift at least one more trophy but they fell agonisingly short of winning either the Premier League or Champions League titles.
There was a glimmer of hope on the final day of the Premier League campaign, as frontrunners Manchester City found themselves two goals down to Aston Villa. Liverpool got the job done against Wolverhampton Wanderers but a late City fightback saw them win 3-2 at the Etihad Stadium to lift the trophy. Liverpool did not have long to feel sorry for themselves as they faced Real Madrid in the Champions League final in Paris. While the Reds were favourites going into the match, it was Los Blancos who triumphed at the Stade de France to be crowned European champions. It’s easy to understand why it would take time to get over that sort of end to a season and perhaps it has affected the Reds’ start to the new campaign.
Reds’ Response Needed
After failing to land wins in their first three Premier League games of the 2022/23 season, manager Jurgen Klopp will be determined to see a response from his players over the coming months. Perhaps the Reds are experiencing some sort of hangover from last term, having made a sluggish start to the new season. Draws with Fulham and Crystal Palace were somewhat underwhelming for a Liverpool side that have made a habit of dispatching teams down the table with relative ease.
The 2-1 defeat at the hands of rivals Manchester United will arguably have been the most troubling result for Klopp after what was a disappointing performance from the visitors at Old Trafford. United were also chasing their first win of the season going into that game after defeats to both Brighton and Brentford. Yet it was the Red Devils who showed up on the big occasion to claim the bragging rights and three important points.
Liverpool have certainly not become a bad team overnight and they will be expected to settle into their rhythm and climb the table. The end to last season was tough to take for Reds’ supporters but football moves on quickly and already Liverpool are playing catch-up.
