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There are numerous ingredients to a successful recipe for a title-winning side. You need the right players, the manager to get the best out of them, and the backing of a solid organization behind everyone.
You also need a decent kit. After all, if you do end up winning it all, do you really want to go down in history as having subjected your supporters to lace-up collars?
Manchester United 1992-1994 third kit. The green and yellow makes a great combination. Also don't forget the lace-up collar! #BetfredDerbyDay pic.twitter.com/NRwyhj3Dzi
— Dimas Chandra (@dimaschandraa) December 10, 2017
The answer is no. No, you do not.
So clearly, there’s a lot of pressure on New Balance these days. Led by a forward trio for the ages and an iconic manager in Jürgen Klopp, Liverpool are very likely going to be on a lot of lists this summer as one of the prime candidates to challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title.
Forget Naby Keïta, Jorginho, or whichever male underwear model Michael Edwards intends to pluck off the catwalks of Milan to back up Loris Karius in goal. The big question going into this summer is: what will Liverpool’s kit look like next season?
As always, social media may hold the answers. Leaked images appearing on Twitter have offered hints of what Salah, Firmino, Mané and Co. may be wearing next year while they chase that title. As always, these need to be taken with several shakers of salt, but the latest images have the distinction of looking reasonably plausible, and also match up with mockups that had been leaked in prior months.
#LFC pic.twitter.com/wq16U5uNsA
— Lewis (@FutboILewis) April 15, 2018
No surprises, the home shirt is red. It does appear to be the deeper, almost burgundy hued red that marked the 2017-18 iteration, but the collar seems to have been updated to feature a button. There’s also the white piping that featured in New Balance/Warrior’s attempts from recent years.
Let’s be real, buttons are great on shirts if you need something to wear while attending the weekend barbecue hosted by the Accounts Department. Or if you’re filming a YouTube instructional video in which you explain to your viewers how to install drywall. Do they belong on the home kit for a potential title-winning side? We shall see, New Balance, we shall see.