The reason that we are being exposed so early is that, most teams have added on what they had in last year, that too after constantly investing positively almost every window in previous 3/4 years, thanks to Tv money. We have made 3 profitable windows & then have brought Ox, Robertson, Solanki - that too after selling Lucas, Stuart & Sakho. We can make laugh of & feel satisfaction from Everton, but truth is that the starting schedule that they were given, on top of Europa ........ we can only thank our stars, otherwise we would have struggled to keep our underwear on with this squad.
Overall standard of EPL has gone much higher this year. Last few years, performance of EPL clubs in Europe, win by Leicester, gives a clue actually what was the true level - I believe French clubs had out performed EPL Teams in last 4/5 years in Europe. This year, finally we are going to face our nemesis of moneyball - may be Klopp will pay for this & pay for being too nice (read politically correct), but I don't see the solution in a change in team Management. Tactically, Klopp is a wonderful Manager - he won 2 Bundes Liga with BVB, and punched well above weight so far (last year, he had better head to head on home & away basis against top 8 teams), but there is an elasticity of every efficiency.
I have argued with many soccer pundits & most of them actually had to agree with me on this - LFC's defensive owes are a result of categorically created stringent financial constrains. Teams in soccer, defends two ways - either they are tactically superior & defend as a team, or they have better individuals for one on one. A classic example is the International soccer - Italy defends as a team, intelligent, mean, tactically astute defensive line that does zonal marking proficiently, covers angle for through pass and sets off-side trap with a high line & inch perfect precision and their GK is always among the best on arial balls. Brazil on the other hand isn't a defensive team, won't/can't be ever, because they don't play the soccer that way - whichever Manager tried to play that game, got exposed. But, Brazil has produced some of the ATG full backs, CBs and they can shut down any forward in 121.
Klopp, as a Manager is in Brazil philosophy - he can't play his team in that mean Italian or French style. We don't have the best defenders, but still what we have was good enough for Managers like Mou, Carlo or Rafa to shut out teams, at least the Watfords, Burnelys, West Hams & Palaces. What Klopp needed is 5 top class individuals including a vocal GK to shape his back line. Same can be said for Pep - not the best tool to coordinate defense - so, what he has done is poured bucks from a bottomless pocket to buy out his defensive problems, at the expense of his ambitious owners - his defense is still not good as a unit, but his defenders are world class, even some on his bench. On contrary, Klopp has only Matip, who could have started regularly for an EPL Team - still, every day he is proving why Yanks could bring him free at 24 & the Bayerns & PSGs & Barcas didn't go for a free player. Klopp sugar quotes his strangle in the excuse of buying only better than what he has - then ends up bringing Robertson & Ox for his bench.
The fact is, we were already doomed by top tier players as a non-ambitious club - being based at a middle class town, not being regular in CL, nothing won in last 10 years ... are not the most lucrative propositions for the soccer hunks to come at Liverpool, add to that reputation of FSG's previous cheap managers; which to an extent Klopp could revive by his persona, style, reputation & off course that CL qualification. This was the year, this was the year for spending, this was the year to bring 5/6 players for starting XI at whatever cost and build the core of the team for a decade, without the Hendersons & Lovrens & Mignolets & ........ but those Yanks couldn't raise above their money ball. They even waited till we beat Hoffenheim in 2nd leg & then jumped into market in last week - result, as expected, paid twice for an English Ox, who'll be sold at first chance next time (won't be easy, beef doesn't sell at 130K/week).
Probably next low for us is that any top Manager won't like to take charge of what is the greatest institution of English football, a colossus of club sports & a global brand still drags highest level of revenue & fan base. I imagine, had MU or Arsenal not won a domestic league for 27 years, where they would have been & where we are - that's Liverpool for me, sadly being stripped to mediocrity by people who owns the club, but isn't passionate about the brand, isn't associated with the theme - "we'll never walk alone".
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️ <a href="https://t.co/HE59o8crqT">pic.twitter.com/HE59o8crqT</a></p>— BT Sport Football (@btsportfootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/btsportfootball/status/911653218744197120">September 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
