In the wake of Liverpool’s 2-2 draw at newly-promoted Fulham on the opening weekend of the 2022-23 season, Jurgen Klopp snapped back at a “silly question” of whether his side had got off to a slow start. He made a valid point, with the Reds being just one outing into what will be another 38-game marathon.
The pace was not picked up, though, when being held to another draw by Crystal Palace on matchday two, with that particular contest delivering more unwanted headlines and uncomfortable questions.
A star striker saw red against the Eagles, delivering him an untimely ban, while many established first-team performers were left watching on from afar after finding themselves stuck on the sidelines. The treatment room at Anfield has been seeing more footfall than anybody could have predicted.
Injuries are part and parcel of professional sport, but the hope is that any enforced spells out of action will be spread thinly over the course of any given campaign. As soon as they start to stack up, the depth of even the most expensively assembled squads are put to the test.
Klopp has found himself without key men in important areas of the field, with his midfield engine room running a little low on fuel during the early weeks of another testing campaign. A transfer window was still open at that point, but a German tactician on Merseyside has never been one to spend for the sake of it.
His hand may not have been forced, but nobody connected with Liverpool needed any reminding that they already found themselves playing catch-up on defending champions Manchester City.
Setbacks
If such setbacks are to be endured, then it is best to get them out of the way when there are still plenty of points left to play for. Given their exploits over recent years, the Reds can still expect to earn favour among those exploring sportsbooks from bet365 and beyond that include the EPL and deliver various streaming opportunities that allow supporters to stay across all of the exhilarating live action. With platforms such as Ladbrokes allowing punters to bet with Ladbrokes bonus code, taking some speculative action on Liverpool this season may be a tempting proposition for many.
Bettors will be wanting to keep a close eye on the exploits of Liverpool and it would, despite a slow start being made, come as something of a surprise if the Reds were not there or thereabouts when major silverware comes up for grabs in the spring.
Liverpool draw a second successive Premier League game ? pic.twitter.com/yLTI08OYDn
— GOAL (@goal) August 15, 2022
Putting themselves in contention for the most prestigious of honours, from domestic trophies to Champions League crowns, remains the sole target for all concerned at Anfield. They know that no prizes are handed out in the autumn and will continue to believe that any questions about their credentials can be filed into a “silly” category.
They will, however, need to rediscover a spark in the Premier League from somewhere, or from somebody, at some stage in order to replicate the successes of their recent past. Having everybody available at the same time would go a long way towards aiding that quest.
Klopp has always held the belief that fortune favours the brave and is unlikely to alter his approach or mindset for anyone. He may have found himself in the unfortunate, and for him a rather uncommon situation of being a little down on his luck, but he will be hoping not to be left cursing it, come the end of May 2023.