The Liverpool Offside - The Liverpool Offside 2020-21 Season Review Zeppeline, Trinken, & Pink Badeshortshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/51345/ltos-fav.png2021-05-29T14:00:00+01:00http://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/rss/stream/222236792021-05-29T14:00:00+01:002021-05-29T14:00:00+01:00The Liverpool Offside Season Review, Part 5: What’s Needed for 2021-22?
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<img alt="RB Leipzig v Manchester United: Group H - UEFA Champions League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/wVGsqZ4TZlleCbEJRTkHoc6DKNs=/141x0:4683x3028/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69360560/1290353002.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Boris Streubel/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Having completed the signing of Ibrahima Konaté, what else must Liverpool do to challenge for silverware in the 2021-22 season?</p> <h2 id="sNFAvR"><strong>Part 5: What’s Needed for 2021-22?</strong></h2>
<p id="mF5oyq">After winning the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/champions-league">Champions League</a> in 2019 and the Premier League in 2020 before 2020-21’s third-place finish in the midst of a difficult season, the goal heading into 2021-22 will be for the Reds to be back fighting for the game’s biggest trophies. What, if anything, will they need to do to get there? </p>
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<h3 id="JgDQrO"><strong>Audun</strong></h3>
<p id="Rg9TWu">Buy a centre back. That’s it. That’s the one thing the club <em>had</em> to do, and with Ibrahima Konaté’s signing, they’ve already done it.</p>
<p id="h5Cwuj">Really though, if we do nothing else, the addition of Konaté, the return of fans to Anfield, and a normalisation of injury, finishing, and VAR margins should see us comfortably back in the title race, pushing for that 90-point mark that should be the target for any side that wants to be in the title race.</p>
<p id="7xj6rN">Ideally, though, we also find new homes for a bunch of fringe players, add a central midfielder to replace Gini and refresh an aging position group, begin turning over our front line, and get cover for Trent that isn’t a teenager. It’s going to be a weird, unpredictable summer, one complicated further by the Euros, so it’ll be very interesting to see how much movement there is in the market.</p>
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<h3 id="ohBcfN"><strong>Will</strong></h3>
<p id="RFYjKy">Adding Konate is nice. If this was FIFA, I would have kept Ozan Kabak too, but £18m for what would be a fifth choice CB if the club don’t think Joël Matip is departing just isn’t practical in the real world. Still, another midfielder should be on the shopping list with Wijnaldum’s departure, and, regardless of whether Harvey Elliott gets his shot this year or not, I’d like to see another promising young attacker brought in. </p>
<p id="q2oejF">Also, Andy Robertson has played so much in the last couple years that a trusted left-back deputy is an absolute necessity. If Jürgen Klopp thinks that’s Tsimikas, perfect, but if the club doesn’t think he’s up for the task then they really need to find someone that is. You’re playing with fire if you’re relying on Robbo to continue starting every single match. More than anything, though, most of these guys just need a damn break. It’s too bad so many of them won’t get it thanks to summer international duty.</p>
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<h3 id="1z5lSM"><strong>Tito</strong></h3>
<p id="EPUprH">In order of importance: announce Ibrahima Konaté (done), replace Gini Wijnaldum’s minutes (pending), continue the front three’s transition and help Harvey Elliott take the next developmental step (fingers crossed). </p>
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<h3 id="SQqQTl"><strong>Avantika</strong></h3>
<p id="nwuwEu">The centre half issue may look largely solved, but a singular Diogo Jota as backup to the triple threat of Salah, Firmino, and Mane seems like another potential risk to address. We saw what happened when Jota got injured and the front three simultaneously lost their scoring boots, and it would be nice to have another goal threat.</p>
<p id="0Vgt5q">It would also be great to have a Gini replacement, and viable backup options for Trent and Robbo, since it feels as though Neco Williams and Kostas Tsimikas haven’t been deemed ready. This may be unpopular, but Shaqiri, Keita and Origi are deadwood at this point, and I wouldn’t mind them being sold this summer if it means bringing in a few new players.</p>
<p id="uhbByo">And maybe while they’re at it, FSG could quit embarrassing us by not investing in LFCW and trying to join breakaway leagues. It absolutely doesn’t help with the banter and the morals and stuff.</p>
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<h3 id="ezSPmp"><strong>Dexian</strong></h3>
<p id="CFlIqc">Depth, depth, depth. Kostas Tsimikas and Neco Williams barely getting onto the pitch in a season where Trent and Robbo looked severely overworked is concerning. The midfield needs someone who’ll be able to soak up big minutes from Gini’s departure, and we’ll see if Keita or Ox can fight their way back into Klopp’s rotation. Harvey Elliot will be nice to have but it’d be really cool to have another experienced attacking option if Shaqiri or Origi do depart this summer. </p>
<p id="5CDp2H">It’d also be really great to see the Anfield faithful getting to show up in force for big games again, but before that happens, I’d like to see the club’s management make more overtures to those so-called <em>legacy fans</em> to repair the damage they did trying to found the ESL.</p>
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<h3 id="VKXbT7"><strong>Noel</strong></h3>
<p id="pal7UE">Konaté was the first <em>must do, </em>and kudos to the club for getting it done quickly. The second is signing a midfielder. This is not an option. This is not a situation where the club can cross their fingers and hope someone steps up to replace Gini Wijnaldum. Because Gini played 51 games last season. He played just a game shy of 5,000 minutes. He played 1,500 minutes—or nearly 17 games—more than any other Liverpool midfielder.</p>
<p id="hCqqOw">Fabinho played 3,434 minutes, Thiago played 2,203, Henderson played 2,114, Jones played 1,920, Milner played 1,752, Keïta played 714, and Oxlade-Chamberlain played 286. That’s the breakdown, and while Fabinho might be able to play a little more it would be reckless to expect Thiago or Henderson to do so. And while Jones might well be ready to take on Keïta and Oxlade-Chamberlain’s minutes, asking him to take on even more than that would be similarly reckless. Then you’ve got Keïta and Oxlade-Chamberlain, who’ve spent most of the past three seasons alternating between being injured and struggling to find form.</p>
<p id="I1hy5R">I firmly believe Jones is ready to take on a bigger role, but trying to replace Wijnaldum’s 5,000 minutes with our current midfield group would be as reckless as heading into the 2020-21 season with three senior centre halves was. Ideally, and probably to everybody’s benefit, Keïta and Oxlade-Chamberlain could be found new homes where they would have a clearer path to regular playing time and their departures would fund a new signing who could take on 3,500 to 4,000 minutes.</p>
<p id="udD1dp">Beyond that, there are no real <em>musts dos. </em>James Milner can still cover fullback on occasion and Neco Williams is a year older and hopefully able to deputise at right back a little better. If Adrian departs, Kelleher is the backup. If Shaqiri and Origi leave, perhaps a promising young attacker will arrive—but even then, Harvey Elliott is a <em>very</em> promising young attacker already on the books who will need minutes. And so other things <em>may</em> happen, but having brought in Konaté there’s only one other thing that <em>must.</em></p>
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<h3 id="KlVhsI"><strong>Ritika</strong></h3>
<p id="afpuGC">A nap. </p>
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<h3 id="hyxsgt"><strong>Gabe</strong></h3>
<p id="F3klWT">It really is time for the players to finally, hopefully get a chance rest and recuperate. Beyond that, even after Konaté I’d like at least one more capable senior centre back for depth. I also want to continue to bring in some younger talent to begin integrating it into the midfield and attack. Hendo and Thiago will be 31 and 30 respectively to start next season, so someone in their early to mid-20s with an eye towards a starting role in a couple seasons would be ideal. </p>
<p id="iTbRR6">For the attack, another body is going to be needed for when Mo and Sadio leave for AFCON in the winter. With the entire front line ageing in place, it would be nice to see someone in their early to mid-twenties coming in that could be considered a successor for one of the front three that can push for minutes, like Jota was, rather than a Shaqiri-type stop gap.</p>
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<h3 id="DAA8Au"><strong>Mari</strong></h3>
<p id="61oI86">I’m not stressed about centre backs. I know everyone else—and probably everyone in their right mind—is a little, even with the signing of Konaté, but what this season <em>has</em> done is get our panic stations straight. There’s only an issue if Virgil or Joe have picked up recurring injuries, and if they haven’t I remain absolutely sound with having one new signing plus Matip to round out the top four and Fabinho as an emergency option. It’s tough on Kabak, and I’d have had no qualms with keeping him, but I also would rather spend £20 million elsewhere as I’m not convinced we have loads to spend. </p>
<p id="mZxqJZ">With that in mind, Gini’s minutes are my main worry. It’s not lost on me that he’s played the most in the midfield every single year it seems, and prior to this season that level of consistency I think added a lot to what the front three could manage. I’m not 100% sure Jones is ready to fill that role consistently, and as much as I do love and appreciate our captain, he’s not one I back to miss <em>fewer </em>games as he ages. Then there’s Thiago, who was never brought in, I don’t think, to play 100% of the minutes available. </p>
<p id="nHEXjy">So at this point, I would buy a midfielder. We no longer have a single player in that area who has remained fit for a full season, if I’m not mistaken, and a solid spine is crucial. James Milner can cover a lot of ground but here it seems he’s still playing as a backup fullback as well. I don’t want someone flashy really, as consistency is really key here. Maybe there’s an intelligent Dutch fella playing some place like Newcastle who could adapt to what we’re doing really seamlessly so as to let players like Trent and the front three and Jota shine.</p>
<p id="jkZxAg">All of this is the same reasoning that would have had me letting Gini write his own contract to stick around while selling a few of the fellas who made more minor impacts in the last two seasons, but here we are. This is why it’s not my job to make difficult footballing decisions. And who knows, maybe Jones is ready, maybe what we really need is a player who can play right back and also centrally.</p>
<p id="O4Kp5L">We legitimately are in “players returning from injury are like new signings” territory in a very major way, though, and buying a couple of succession-planning players with an eye to the season after next would make a lot of sense. Even as things stand I would be scared of us if I were any other team in the league.</p>
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<h2 id="2rCgY2"><strong>TLO’s 2020-21 Season Review</strong></h2>
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<strong>Monday — </strong><a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-tactics-longform/2021/5/24/22450970/liverpool-offside-2020-21-premier-league-season-review-perspective-coronavirus-injuries-struggles"><strong>Part 1: Putting 2020-21 Into Perspective</strong></a><br><strong>Tuesday — </strong><a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-tactics-longform/2021/5/25/22452707/liverpool-2020-21-review-memorable-alisson-goal-west-brom-firmino-salah-celebration-nat-phillips"><strong>Part 2: 2020-21’s Most Memorable Moments</strong></a><br><strong>Wednesday — </strong><a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-tactics-longform/2021/5/26/22454484/liverpool-2020-21-season-review-best-performers-salah-robertson-struggles-injuries-mane-keita"><strong>Part 3: Underperformers and Overachievers</strong></a><br><strong>Thursday — </strong><a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-tactics-longform/2021/5/27/22456355/liverpool-fc-2020-21-season-review-mistakes-centre-back-depth-van-dijk-schedule-super-league"><strong>Part 4: Could 2020-21 Have Gone Differently?</strong></a><br><strong>Saturday — Part 5: What’s Needed for 2021-22?</strong>
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https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-tactics-longform/2021/5/29/22459602/liverpool-fc-2021-season-preview-offseason-needs-new-players-transfers-signings-challenge-titleNoel ChomynAudun ManumWaterWorldIsMyNightmareO.T. ObaisiAvantika GoswamidxtehsecksrbhaskerCruyff Turns AnonymousMari Murphy2021-05-27T14:00:00+01:002021-05-27T14:00:00+01:00The Liverpool Offside Season Review, Part 4: Could 2020-21 Have Gone Differently?
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<img alt="Everton v Liverpool - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/vfweHFdFiAkAYheau5SO-Hgpscg=/0x9:2989x2002/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69350014/1280730575.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Liverpool headed into the season expecting to mount a title defence. Then it all fell apart. But was it avoidable?</p> <h2 id="YOVoJ1"><strong>Part 4: Could 2020-21 Have Gone Differently?</strong></h2>
<p id="RusvrD">After winning the Premier League last season and the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/champions-league">Champions League</a> the year before, expectations were high for Liverpool heading into 2020-21. While there were good reasons for their struggles, once they dropped out of the title race it was probably fair to say they didn’t live up to those expectations. But could anything have been done differently?</p>
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<h3 id="sNvcQB"><strong>Zach</strong></h3>
<p id="Q3QZcs">I said in preseason that we’d miss Dejan Lovren, but no one could’ve predicted just how much we’d miss Degsy. I was nervous that we were making a similar mistake to the one Man City made the year before after not replacing Vincent Kompany, and it really sucks to have been right. Still, the sheer scale of the injury crisis meant that even keeping Lovren—or bringing in a player like Ozan Kabak in the summer rather than January —wouldn’t have made much of a difference. </p>
<p id="SyXmML">An argument could be made that Jürgen Klopp should have given up on the “Fabinho as center back cover” strategy much earlier, too, but instead I think I have to give the manager credit here. He got it right in the end, if only just. Kloppo is right to point out that no team could compete for trophies with the amount of injuries that we suffered, especially in one position. To right the ship midseason and qualify for Champions League when the chance looked dead and buried? It was a hell of the job all around, and especially by the manager, to make sure the players stayed focused and got back on track. </p>
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<h3 id="POvqv4"><strong>Gabe</strong></h3>
<p id="Os5Ivb">There were quite a few of us here who were concerned with the depth at centre back heading into this season, especially with the injury history of Joe Gomez and Joel Matip. Unfortunately, those concerns were well founded. Having another senior team centre back on the roster might have helped to keep Fabinho in his holding midfield role. As we saw later in the season, when Fabinho went back into midfield it unlocked the full class and ability of Thiago. Of course, if Liverpool had another senior team centre back to start the season they probably would have gotten hurt too, so it might all be moot.</p>
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<h3 id="ZY3Gdq"><strong>Ritika </strong></h3>
<p id="Pp2AWo">Yes. Others have mentioned this already but there were centre-back depth issues that we knew about going into the season. Now, would <em>The Curse</em> have spared those centre-backs? We just don’t know.</p>
<p id="aCA3oY">Honestly, the one thing that <em>should</em> have gone differently this season is the distraction that was the Super League announcement. It was a hilarious time for a lot of us, but we really could have done without it. </p>
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<h3 id="J9jUAx"><strong>Noel</strong></h3>
<p id="EfFvAn">The need for an established fourth-choice centre half was something all of us were calling for last summer given Joe Gomez and Joël Matip were both known injury question marks. It meant going into the season with one reliably fit player at the position. The recklessness of trying to mount a title defence with not just three players where most top clubs carry four but <em>those three</em> players was slapping a kick-me sign on your own back and being surprised when it results in getting kicked. It was a reckless gamble—and it looked a reckless gamble in August and September.</p>
<p id="kHaEEL">With all that out of the way, I think Ritika’s right to highlight the Super League as a perhaps even more obvious, more avoidable fuck up by the club. And its timing really did hurt given it coincided with Liverpool trying to get their shit together and make a late top four push.</p>
<p id="vHaCvk">Before the Super League announcement, Liverpool did seemed to be doing just that—getting their shit together. They’d won three on the bounce, dispatching Wolves, Arsenal, and <a href="https://7500toholte.sbnation.com">Aston Villa</a>. Then the club’s owners stuck their foot in. Whatever one’s views on the Super League idea, the timing made it an almighty distraction when the players needed to keep their focus on the pitch, and it’s hard to blame them for not being fully able to and dropping points to Leeds and Newcastle in its immediate aftermath.</p>
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<h3 id="gUXhKS"><strong>Audun</strong></h3>
<p id="ZQdtWY">Buy a centre-back and score your chances would’ve solved a lot of our issues this season, but some of the explanation of our 30-point drop-off from last year is just variance. Our ability to convert narrow advantages into points in our title-winning run was outrageous and probably never going to be sustainable, and this year we saw that come home to roost on top of everything else. </p>
<p id="4tqxlV">We didn’t really stand pat after winning the league, but added Thiago and Jota to an already great team, and were mostly screwed over by expectations probably being too high following last year’s points tally, and a combination of injury, refereeing and finishing-related circumstances. Besides going into the season with a threadbare central defence, I can’t fault the club’s strategy much.</p>
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<h3 id="zqUTtO"><strong>Dexian</strong></h3>
<p id="knegvD">We now know he plays okay in this team, and that factors into the judgement, but Ozan Kabak was right there for the taking back in pre-season. His agent was desperately trying to hawk the guy to us all through the summer for a relatively affordable fee. We got cheap, cut corners, the unthinkable happened, and this season suffered for it.</p>
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<h3 id="Fi6VZJ"><strong>Tito</strong></h3>
<p id="DfUIef">Virgil Van Dijk had been an ironman since arriving at Anfield in January 2018 for good reason. Unlike most gifted athletes with his godly levels of athleticism, the star centre half is curiously a master at conserving energy. He often prefers to stay on his feet rather than engage in risky tackles, never getting caught too high up the pitch to have to strain to recover and often appears perturbed whenever he has to exert himself defensively.</p>
<p id="e56SYo">All of which made the season-ending ACL injury he suffered at the hands—and flailing legs—of Jordan Pickford so unusual: it’s the sort of situation in which the Dutchman rarely finds himself. Was there the temptation, to which many an attacker often succumbs, to invite Pickford’s clumsy contact and try win the penalty? If that was the decision, how much closer would the final 17 point gap between Liverpool and Man City have been if he had instead hung back? Could the Reds have mounted a credible title defence?</p>
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<h3 id="fkuaaS"><strong>Will</strong></h3>
<p id="BKP6yk">As others have mentioned, another centre back would have been extremely beneficial, and that’s not even just a hindsight thing since many of us felt that way before the season even kicked off. But the truth is that even an extra CB or two wouldn’t have totally erased the effects of playing way too many damn games on too little rest, and that’s on the leagues and federations.</p>
<p id="fK8TNC">Especially considering the compressed schedule, the Premier League could and should have done more to help out teams playing in the Champions League and Europa League in midweek. FIFA and the confederations could and should have done more to cut down on unnecessary international matches. In general, a lot more should have been done to look out for the wellbeing of players who were being forced to play the usual slate of matches. </p>
<p id="HvFeDp">Instead, they went all in on continuing to push the boundaries of what’s reasonable to expect out of players and teams that go deep in multiple competitions, and they did it on an accelerated timeline. As a club, Liverpool made their own mistakes, but FIFA and UEFA and the Premier League did their part to set them and a lot of others up to fail.</p>
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<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="0pzvXz">
<p id="3mjXGS"></p>
<h2 id="2rCgY2"><strong>TLO’s 2020-21 Season Review</strong></h2>
<h4 id="w55QtJ">
<strong>Monday — </strong><a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-tactics-longform/2021/5/24/22450970/liverpool-offside-2020-21-premier-league-season-review-perspective-coronavirus-injuries-struggles"><strong>Part 1: Putting 2020-21 Into Perspective</strong></a><br><strong>Tuesday — </strong><a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-tactics-longform/2021/5/25/22452707/liverpool-2020-21-review-memorable-alisson-goal-west-brom-firmino-salah-celebration-nat-phillips"><strong>Part 2: 2020-21’s Most Memorable Moments</strong></a><br><strong>Wednesday — </strong><a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-tactics-longform/2021/5/26/22454484/liverpool-2020-21-season-review-best-performers-salah-robertson-struggles-injuries-mane-keita"><strong>Part 3: Underperformers and Overachievers</strong></a><br><strong>Thursday — Part 4: Could 2020-21 Have Gone Differently?</strong><br><strong>Friday — Part 5: What’s Needed for 2021-22?</strong>
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<p id="g8IvCn"></p>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-tactics-longform/2021/5/27/22456355/liverpool-fc-2020-21-season-review-mistakes-centre-back-depth-van-dijk-schedule-super-leagueNoel ChomynZachary MarxCruyff Turns AnonymousrbhaskerAudun ManumdxtehsecksO.T. ObaisiWaterWorldIsMyNightmare2021-05-26T14:00:00+01:002021-05-26T14:00:00+01:00The Liverpool Offside Season Review, Part 3: Underperformers and Overachievers
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<img alt="FBL-ENG-PR-MAN UTD-LIVERPOOL" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/GVJm4N8mQiQRXVM0tUL1577l2UQ=/61x41:3534x2356/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69344534/1232872481.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by DAVE THOMPSON/POOL/AFP via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Expectations were high for Liverpool heading into 2020-21. Today we look at the players we think met, exceeded, and fell short of them.</p> <h2 id="AD6Zkj"><strong>Part 3: Underperformers and Overachievers</strong></h2>
<p id="FieyNb">While injuries were inarguably <em>the</em> key issue in Liverpool’s 2020-21 struggles, the situation was made more difficult when some players failed to hit the kind of heights they had in the past. Meanwhile, those injuries gave some unheralded fringe players a chance to shine. Today we dig into the players we expected more from this season—and the ones who delivered unexpectedly.</p>
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<h3 id="3E80UP"><strong>Noel</strong></h3>
<p id="3aPYju">Liverpool had three things go wrong, at least compared to the past few seasons. The big one was injuries. Another major issue, one that was often overlooked by the pundits, is that they had the second most VAR decisions go against them in the Premier League. Neither of those are especially within their control, and if injuries and officiating hadn’t gone against them this is a side that’s almost certainly in the thick of the title race.</p>
<p id="zKBCVW">However, there was a third problem this season: poor finishing. Of the famed front three, only Mo Salah was converting as expected, while Firmino and Mané both spent much of the season in dire form in front of goal. If the baseline is Liverpool’s forwards should at least convert their chances at about par with expected goals, both fell nearly four league goals short of that mark—and with Mané previously averaging three goals more than expected per season at Liverpool, that’s seven goals lost from <em>expected Mané.</em></p>
<p id="hYAeNf">Depending on how you add it all up, in past seasons we would have expected seven to eleven more goals from the duo in the league alone based on their historical strike rates and underlying numbers—more than enough for this side to comfortably finish second and maybe even challenge for the title in spite of those other issues. The good news, if you’re looking for some good news, is that their underlying numbers said they were still getting the chances they did in past years. They just weren’t finishing like in past years.</p>
<p id="oD8PmI">On the flip side, while Nat Phillips has clearly earned cult hero status, with an eye to the future I was most intrigued by the clear steps taken by Curtis Jones, who—perhaps slightly unexpectedly given he’s often been seen as a more attacking sort of midfielder—appears to be growing into a top class controlling presence. Given the age distribution of Liverpool’s midfield and departure of Gini Wijnaldum, Liverpool are going to need big things from Jones next season, and this past year gave strong evidence that he’s up to it.</p>
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<h3 id="ptR3Fp"><strong>Will</strong></h3>
<p id="Ibc5rH">For underachiever, while I want to make it clear I don’t think he was Liverpool’s worst player, Sadio Mané was the most disappointing. While all of Liverpool’s front three had stretches where they struggled, Mané’s seemed to last longest and it coincided with the team’s poor form in the new year, which really made it stand out. He did finish strong, and Liverpool may not be in the CL spots if not for a few of his goals down the stretch. However, more than any other player, Mané looked like he needed a mental break for much of the year. Here’s hoping his late rebound and a summer reset will set him up for 21-22.</p>
<p id="EmfdUy">For overachiever, Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams were nowhere near the first team picture in August, but both were forced to carry a heavy load after Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez and then Joël Matip were lost for the season. Nobody would have been surprised if they had been disastrous, especially playing together, but both performed so much better than any reasonable person could have expected. They both do have some big weaknesses in their game, and I’d rather not see another situation where they<em> have to</em> play for Liverpool, but this year would have been much more painful and disappointing if not for Phillips and Williams exceeding all expectations.</p>
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<h3 id="yTJ6dS"><strong>Grace</strong></h3>
<p id="SnakGG">It feels like a million years ago now, but Curtis Jones’ form in the first half of the season was such a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect from him, but the way he brought a more technical skillset to the role than we’ve seen previously was such a nice unexpected bonus.</p>
<p id="qum9XO">What makes it frustrating is that was supposed to be Thiago’s job. He really has improved in recent weeks and looks like he’s starting to grasp the system properly, but looking at the entire season, it’s hard for me not to put him down as a disappointment.</p>
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<h3 id="OPCEGk"><strong>Zach </strong></h3>
<p id="ZbXwDf">Underachiever: Premier League refs and VAR. They absolutely tried to do everything in their power to deny <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/champions-league">Champions League</a> football to Liverpool, but came up short when it counted most. </p>
<p id="NOhCmY">Overachiever: The football god of injuries, who successfully placed an unbreakable curse on our centre backs. Or nearly unbreakable, until Nat Phillips headed it away, requiring only light stitches and a head bandage in the aftermath. </p>
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<h3 id="KHj8Ow"><strong>Audun</strong></h3>
<p id="cPUzr7">Yeah, the refs really were remarkably shit this year.</p>
<p id="BcCo7v">On the playing side, though, it’s a bit of a tricky question in both directions, because almost all our players had markedly uneven seasons, with far greater swings in form than has been the case in the past. Both Alisson and Trent, for instance, were absolutely phenomenal down the stretch after very pedestrian performances throughout the year, while Mo’s continued decline in underlying numbers didn’t affect his top-line production at all.</p>
<p id="6s9QUX">I guess Rhys Williams, although he’s clearly not ready for this level, being able to not immediately drown against Premier League opposition is the biggest overperformance, at least relative to expectations, that I can think of.</p>
<p id="Exg9tM">On the underperformance side, Takumi Minamino’s inability to get on the pitch, affect play when he did, and ultimately remain at the club despite every other attacker in Red going through a finishing crisis at the time was surprising and disappointing to me, although I didn’t think he looked awful when playing. Also, Kostas Tsimikas played six minutes of PL football this year and had ten touches in the competition, which is less than I expected.</p>
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<h3 id="lBpFQH"><strong>Tito</strong></h3>
<p id="92D2GD">No underperformer this season can be entirely removed from the context of a pandemic-compressed season (which affected everyone to some degree) and a biblical plague of injuries (experienced by no other club to degree it impacted Liverpool).</p>
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<h3 id="G52bXw"><strong>Avantika </strong></h3>
<p id="asvqQj">I’m not sure if this falls neatly into either the under or over category, but I want to take a moment to really appreciate Andrew Henry Robertson, aka Robbo, who once again brought us his near-perfect fitness and availability along with unwavering commitment and constant involvement in key parts of our game. Left to me, the Player of the Season would be jointly awarded to him and Mo. </p>
<p id="UutwvJ">In the definitely-falls-in-the-under category, with all the injuries it’s hard to believe just how little Naby Keïta was involved this season. Time to sell him to bulk up the Mbappé Fund, IMO.</p>
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<h3 id="VWlKcw"><strong>Gabe</strong></h3>
<p id="2Jjbsr">After several seasons of expecting Naby Keita to take over a consistent role, it really felt like this had to be the year it happened. It seemed Klopp wanted to transition his midfield, with Keita and Thiago being a key part of that. What we saw, however, was yet another season marred by injuries and inconsistent play. I don’t see a future for him at Liverpool at this point, which makes him my biggest disappointment of the season.</p>
<p id="u0kyWj">On the overachiever side, Nat and Rhys have already been mentioned, so I’ll go in a different direction and talk a bit about Diogo Jota. He was someone I was excited to see as a rotational piece to give the front three some rest and chip in with a few goals. Then he went on an absolute tear to start his Liverpool career, scoring seemingly every time he stepped on the pitch. He ended up missing a significant amount of time later in the season, but nine goals in just over 1,100 minutes was well above what I could have hoped for. Also, a huge shout out for Alisson, who was at his best in the last quarter of the season after a rocky start to the year.</p>
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<h3 id="0QroKP"><strong>Dexian</strong></h3>
<p id="w1ZNA4">I’m going to go a little off the board and highlight the fact that, arguably at least, the biggest underachiever this past season might just have been the <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com">Liverpool FC</a> board for threatening to derail an already crazy season with their dreams of a European Super League. Read the room, guys.</p>
<p id="Vuyn0p">Talking players, I hate to single out anyone in this super difficult season but Naby Keita has to be the choice here, right? We waited a full year for his transfer to happen, and after three seasons at the club, we’re still waiting for the player we thought we were signing to show up. And it’s not even like he’s terrible. He does pop up with the occasional goal or game where he’s electric. But mostly he simply exists. That’s where we are with him, and at this stage in his career, that’s not enough.</p>
<p id="Hccg4U">On a more positive note, Mo Salah scoring 22 goals in a team that at times looked like they were shooting at forcefields is incredible. Special shout out to Andrew Robertson and Gini Wijnaldum for redefining the term “iron men” by seemingly playing every game for both club and country while everyone else was getting hurt.</p>
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<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="ToRzeP">
<h2 id="2rCgY2"><strong>TLO’s 2020-21 Season Review</strong></h2>
<h4 id="w55QtJ">
<strong>Monday — </strong><a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-tactics-longform/2021/5/24/22450970/liverpool-offside-2020-21-premier-league-season-review-perspective-coronavirus-injuries-struggles"><strong>Part 1: Putting 2020-21 Into Perspective</strong></a><br><strong>Tuesday — </strong><a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-tactics-longform/2021/5/25/22452707/liverpool-2020-21-review-memorable-alisson-goal-west-brom-firmino-salah-celebration-nat-phillips"><strong>Part 2: 2020-21’s Most Memorable Moments</strong></a><br><strong>Wednesday — Part 3: Underperformers and Overachievers</strong><br><strong>Thursday — </strong><a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-tactics-longform/2021/5/27/22456355/liverpool-fc-2020-21-season-review-mistakes-centre-back-depth-van-dijk-schedule-super-league"><strong>Part 4: Could 2020-21 Have Gone Differently?</strong></a><br><strong>Friday — Part 5: What’s Needed for 2021-22?</strong>
</h4>
<p id="UE1gxc"></p>
<p id="UBvqN4"></p>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-tactics-longform/2021/5/26/22454484/liverpool-2020-21-season-review-best-performers-salah-robertson-struggles-injuries-mane-keitaNoel ChomynWaterWorldIsMyNightmareGraceOnFootballZachary MarxAudun ManumO.T. ObaisiAvantika GoswamiCruyff Turns Anonymousdxtehsecks2021-05-25T14:00:00+01:002021-05-25T14:00:00+01:00The Liverpool Offside Season Review, Part 2: 2020-21’s Most Memorable Moments
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<img alt="TOPSHOT-FBL-ENG-PR-WEST BROM-LIVERPOOL" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/Yh_73qMzai81lT5zbImvV_dI21w=/0x0:1938x1292/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69338555/1232932058.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by LAURENCE GRIFFITHS/POOL/AFP via Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Did you know Liverpool Football Club goalkeeper Alisson Becker scored the first goal by a goalkeeper in the history of Liverpool Football Club?</p> <h2 id="ZHsOsW"><strong>Part 2: 2020-21’s Most Memorable Moments</strong></h2>
<p id="Rku3VD">While there will be many parts of the past season Liverpool fans will be happier to forget, the Reds’ struggles through much of 2021 set up a final stretch that produced moments that will be be replayed and talked about for years to come. With the season now over, the staff of The Liverpool Offside take a look back at some of the things they’ll remember from the season that was.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="aTS5CT">
<h3 id="E9FSGd"><strong>Mari</strong></h3>
<p id="9Ecpko">This season has felt mostly like a blur—and most of the memorable moments early were, of course, bad ones. That Merseyside Derby was real gut-wrenching stuff: major injuries and injustice and VAR at the death. Truly tough to take, and for a time that match seemed like it would go down as the defining moment of the season. </p>
<p id="Xx7drH">There were good bits, too, though, and not just in these final few matches: that Firmino goal (and his run towards the Kop to celebrate) against Tottenham and the seven-goal thriller against Palace certainly stand out, and not just because those goals ended up keeping our hopes alive in the tail end. </p>
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<script async="1" defer crossorigin="anonymous" src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v10.0" nonce="cE6ZIzBw"></script><div class="fb-video" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/LiverpoolFC/videos/674494883226472"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/LiverpoolFC/videos/674494883226472/" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/LiverpoolFC/videos/674494883226472/">BOSS! Every angle of Firmino's late winner vs Spurs </a><p>EVERY angle of Bobby's late winner against Tottenham Hotspur and THAT celebration ❤️</p>Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/67920382572">Liverpool FC</a> on Thursday, December 17, 2020</blockquote></div>
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<p id="Jj0FWz">January through to April is a mess in my head, though. It was a reminder of how hard it is to watch football when it feels like there’s nothing in it: not just that the team is poor, but that there’s no journey, no end goal. When games start feeling like a chore rather than a welcome release. But then the Reds came back into it, and gave us a narrative; made the games mean something.</p>
<p id="PwETOG">I’m not taking that win at Old Trafford entirely at face value, because fans being absent does change things, but my word putting four past United is always going to be a defining moment of a campaign. And our goalkeeper scored. I’m sure we’ll all mention that—the goal, the composure, the emotional release of the celebration. </p>
<p id="gOUh7n">The most important thing, though, is that the Reds made these moments matter through sheer force of will. They refused to let the season be a foregone conclusion. Achieving <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/champions-league">Champions League</a> football against the odds is so, so important, but it also does things like let Alisson’s header be more than an interesting footnote, and instead be an iconic goal in a campaign that mattered. Imagine following anyone else. </p>
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<h3 id="WK2yN0"><strong>Grace</strong></h3>
<p id="lMmmyY">The obvious choice is Alisson’s header, and that’s the clear standout. But beyond that, I think I’d have to say I really appreciated the return of fans both around Christmas and then for the final home game. It’s one of the few times during the pandemic when life has felt something close to normal.</p>
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<div class="c-float-left"><div id="2u7ToT"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YadHmdsACzc?rel=0" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" allow="encrypted-media; accelerometer; clipboard-write; gyroscope; picture-in-picture"></iframe></div></div></div>
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<h3 id="ujql4Q"><strong>Gabe</strong></h3>
<p id="dsxcYY">I mean, it’s the easy answer, but it has to be Alisson’s last gasp header against West Brom, right? It kept Liverpool’s slim hopes of a top four finish alive. And it was a freaking header from a freaking goalie. For the first time in the 128-year history of Liverpool Football Club. To top it off, it really was a top class header too.</p>
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<h3 id="F9I5T0"><strong>Mark</strong></h3>
<p id="PpGN6D">It doesn’t make sense, even weeks later, that Alisson scored the best header I’ve ever seen. He’s a goalkeeper. They’re not supposed to score goals. So yeah, that’s the goal of the season. That’s the goal of the decade. That’s the goal of my lifetime.</p>
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<h3 id="zeOoEp"><strong>Dexian</strong></h3>
<p id="O56udn">Getting a win at Old Trafford is always great—but thumping them after they rested their first-teamers against Leicester? That was tremendous, and more than any individual goals that victory is what I’m going remember most about this season.</p>
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<h3 id="lXq7GI"><strong>Audun</strong></h3>
<p id="I3xC9T">In terms of pure <em>Moments</em>, Alisson’s header is the standout pick, the one that will go down in history and highlight reels, but I want to highlight Trent’s injury time top-bin belter against Villa back in April as an underrated and necessary reminder at a crucial time that the mentality monsters were still around.</p>
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<h3 id="EsgAEw"><strong>Noel</strong></h3>
<p id="qENwj2">Look. I mean. It’s Alisson’s goal against West Brom, isn’t it? It’s fresh in our memories and came during that final push when Liverpool won five in a row to secure a Champions League place that appeared lost for most of 2021. That’s <em>the</em> good memory, if you’re trying to drill down to one thing to counter all the bad, all the injuries and missed chances and the growing feeling good results weren’t possible that started when <a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com">Everton</a>’s Jordan Pickford lunged wildly into Virgil van Dijk at knee level and knocked him out for the season. Though I suppose as moments go, that one was pretty memorable, too.</p>
<p id="cwiCh0">Still, there are other positive moments I’ll remember, especially from those final five games. I loved the way Mohamed Salah <a href="https://streamable.com/yve7xg">celebrated putting the game against Manchester United away</a> in the 90th minute. The cathartic release as the Egytpian pumped his fists in the air and collapsed backwards onto the pitch was glorious, and until Alisson’s late goal three days later, that felt like the image that would define the Reds’ late push for the top four. And we can’t forget about the importance of Nat Phillips’ goal line clearance against Burnley, three days <em>after</em> Alisson scored his goal.</p>
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<p id="RIu98q">And beyond those individual moments in that late top four push, I think I’ll keep a few fond memories of the early months of the season, while Liverpool’s defence was still fit and it felt like new signing Diogo Jota was scoring a goal every five minutes. That was fun. I want to see Liverpool with everyone fit doing more of that next season.</p>
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<h3 id="WWSOto"><strong>Will</strong></h3>
<p id="CzpG0H">Since Alisson’s goal has been mentioned, I’ll go in a bit of a different, more personal direction and say randomly receiving a Firmino home kit from a member of this community just after Christmas. It was a completely unexpected, generous gesture that brought tears to my eyes and reminded me of how awesome being a part of this fanbase and this community can be. Opening that package and realizing what it was after several minutes of complete cluelessness was a feeling I will not soon forget, and I’ll cherish that.</p>
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<h3 id="rzEo34"><strong>Ritika</strong></h3>
<p id="nwf13w">It’s Alisson’s goal. I don’t care how many of us mention this but it’s Alisson’s goal. I’m sure other stuff happened but I honestly can’t remember anything beyond That Goal. It was a perfect header at the perfect moment and exactly what the team and the fans needed.</p>
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<h3 id="p2AVau"><strong>Zach</strong></h3>
<p id="cMwg1K">Did anyone mention Alisson’s goal yet? There’s really not that much more to say, other than the fact that it was a moment that reminded me why I love football and stirred that small, shrivelled, black heart of mine back to life after a solid year of feeling dead inside.</p>
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<h3 id="DGhnR9"><strong>Steph</strong></h3>
<p id="fkgYqi">The obvious answer has to be Alisson’s goal, but since that’s been mentioned quite a few times, I’ll end things on another note. Namely that while I don’t know what the future holds for them, I’ve really enjoyed seeing both Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams take advantage of the opportunities they’d been given.</p>
<p id="OrL5Sk">Not only did they prove themselves, but their combined efforts during the final few weeks might have ultimately been what saved Liverpool’s season. There’s a picture floating around of the two of them after the Crystal Palace game. Their heads are both bleeding, but they’re both smiling up at the fans in the crowd. That pretty much encapsulates the season for me. That’s the image from 2020-21 that I’m going to remember.</p>
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<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="BfbiaA">
<h2 id="2rCgY2"><strong>TLO’s 2020-21 Season Review</strong></h2>
<h4 id="w55QtJ">
<strong>Monday — </strong><a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-tactics-longform/2021/5/24/22450970/liverpool-offside-2020-21-premier-league-season-review-perspective-coronavirus-injuries-struggles"><strong>Part 1: Putting 2020-21 Into Perspective</strong></a><br><strong>Tuesday — Part 2: 2020-21’s Most Memorable Moments</strong><br><strong>Wednesday — </strong><a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-tactics-longform/2021/5/26/22454484/liverpool-2020-21-season-review-best-performers-salah-robertson-struggles-injuries-mane-keita"><strong>Part 3: Underperformers and Overachievers</strong></a><br><strong>Thursday — </strong><a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-tactics-longform/2021/5/27/22456355/liverpool-fc-2020-21-season-review-mistakes-centre-back-depth-van-dijk-schedule-super-league"><strong>Part 4: Could 2020-21 Have Gone Differently?</strong></a><br><strong>Friday — Part 5: What’s Needed for 2021-22?</strong>
</h4>
<p id="Hv0Kac"></p>
https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-tactics-longform/2021/5/25/22452707/liverpool-2020-21-review-memorable-alisson-goal-west-brom-firmino-salah-celebration-nat-phillipsNoel ChomynMari MurphyGraceOnFootballCruyff Turns AnonymousMark KastnerdxtehsecksWaterWorldIsMyNightmarerbhaskerZachary MarxepicskylineAudun Manum2021-05-24T14:00:34+01:002021-05-24T14:00:34+01:00The Liverpool Offside Season Review, Part 1: Putting 2020-21 Into Perspective
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<img alt="Liverpool v Southampton - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/yie-VELaMCBZmSAD5_GXDzn-R3w=/142x0:3465x2215/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69333545/1316997668.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Paul Ellis - Pool/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We’ve come to the end of a strange, difficult season. How will 2020-21 be remembered for Liverpool Football Club?</p> <h2 id="yjI5Gk"><strong>Part 1: Putting 2020-21 Into Perspective</strong></h2>
<p id="A935uX">It’s been a difficult year on and off the pitch for Jürgen Klopp’s injury-ravaged Reds. We try to make a little sense of a season played without fans in the stands that saw Liverpool start out as title defenders before plummeting out of the top four—and then finding the resolve to claw their way back into the <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/champions-league">Champions League</a> places.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="ujwpsb">
<h3 id="bq9OIa"><strong>Noel</strong></h3>
<p id="lPzOFq">It’s been the longest, most exhausting season of Liverpool football ever. It’s also been, in a strange way, the most forgettable and meaningless, embedded as it has been within a terrible year of global pandemic. There are times it’s seemed to have stretched on forever, and yet there are other times it feels as though—much like the past year—it didn’t actually happen. About all I’m certain of now is that, whatever 2020-21 was, it’s over.</p>
<p id="DBt4pI">It’s over and Liverpool are in the Champions League places. If you’d told me before it all I’d be trying to judge a year when Liverpool finished third with 69 points and were knocked out of the Champions League quarter finals, I’d have guessed I’d be massively disappointed. But I’m not. By the standards the club has set, finishing without silverware and out of the title race feels like it should be a disappointment.</p>
<p id="Rpe93c">But having lost their three senior centre halves—and the midfielders who replaced them and the January signings that replaced the midfielders who replaced them—and struggled through the club’s worst run of finishing under Jürgen Klopp and having the second most VAR decisions go against them, I can’t be disappointed. I can only be happy. Happy Liverpool are third and the season is over.</p>
<p id="H71HXE">Happy that this group that won the Premier League and Champions League and then added Thiago Alcantara and Diogo Jota will mostly get a chance to to rest, get fit, add a couple of players, and go again next year like this whole cursed past year—in the land of Liverpool football and in the real world—never happened.</p>
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<h3 id="Wz5z1n"><strong>Steph</strong></h3>
<p id="gUu1zJ">The purpose of these reviews is to look back at the season after it’s over, to try to look at things objectively and with the benefit of hindsight. And this season in particular is one that needs perspective to properly decipher.</p>
<p id="dTclUY">Getting to May 23rd has felt like climbing Mt. Everest, and it’s easy to see how all of these little things contributed to this insane season. Players and staff dealt with the loss of family members, with season-ending injuries, with hairsbreadth VAR decisions and the heightened expectations of a title defence without any defenders and a full season without the Kop. Given all that, to end up in third place is an impressive achievement. </p>
<p id="vtWuLb">In the barren days of winter when nothing seemed to go right for the Reds, it was easy to pinpoint this team’s weaknesses—or the weaknesses of the players who were still fit, in any case—but from its end point, we can see the strength of character that it took to save this season. </p>
<p id="r8TP0f">I guess that the biggest things I’ll take away from this season, though, are the ‘what ifs.’ What if Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez stayed fit? What if a few of those VAR decisions had turned our way? What if Firmino and Jota got more time to play together before Jota got injured? Hopefully those questions will be answered next season, with a team that’s had some time to rest, recuperate, and get ready to show what they can do.</p>
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<h3 id="t5sudT"><strong>Will</strong></h3>
<p id="SsPlVZ">What a wild, strange, exhausting season, shorter than any other on the calendar but somehow so much longer and more draining. Even when Liverpool were topping the table, everything just felt off due to injuries, empty stadiums, and that ridiculously compacted schedule.</p>
<p id="2ieavb">It’s so strange to be sitting here feeling ecstatic about a third place finish after how amazing this team was in the two prior seasons, but when you look at what it took to even get here, you can’t help but feel amazed they pulled it off. It would be wildly unfair to judge the result based on preseason expectations given everything that’s happened since.</p>
<p id="UGqNPj">In the end, this group reeled off eight wins out of ten, miraculously got into the Champions League—which we’d all but written off as a pipe dream—and reminded us of how special this team can be. I had been looking forward to a long break and a reset not long ago. Now, with the way it ended, I can’t wait until August.</p>
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<h3 id="XzkIqg"><strong>Zach</strong></h3>
<p id="LlPod6">It was a grueling campaign, and one that really <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2021/4/19/22391889/leeds-liverpool-epl-2021-goal-highlights-teamsheets-tv-channels-online-streaming">had me questioning the purpose of it all</a> at times. Even before the <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/2021/4/22/22396615/famously-short-lived-things-that-lasted-longer-european-super-league-liverpool">short-lived European Super League debacle</a>, this season really felt painful and pointless because of the lack of fans, unending injuries, and relentless nature of the schedule. </p>
<p id="33BkPL">But then Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool had to do the impossible, climbing from 8th to 3rd in the table with our sixth and eighth choice centre backs, earning 26 of the last 30 points available along the way. And that Alisson header? I’ve not celebrated a goal like that for years. It reminded me of what I’d missed—what we all missed—and why I love football.</p>
<p id="6xFdDF">There’s no silverware for finishing top four, but this might be Klopp’s finest hour as a coach. It’s easy to keep winning when you have momentum, but it’s a lot harder to right the ship, especially with an injury-ravaged squad with no relief in sight. He and the team were forced to look within, find a way to squeeze out every last drop of talent and determination, and finish on the highest of high notes. Up the Reds, and let’s get back to competing for the biggest and best trophies next year. </p>
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<h3 id="xKb3Nl"><strong>Dexian</strong></h3>
<p id="ZF3y9o">To get Champions League football after I had pretty much closed the book on it a couple of months ago? That’s definitely a win no matter what. Watching the football from December to March was a slog for many of us, and I can only imagine how the players felt mired in that slump, with their teammates constantly dropping out of the lineup or having to play out of position. But regardless of how or why they found themselves in such a position, Liverpool met an unimaginable injury crisis by knuckling down and going on a remarkable streak of games. That’s something to celebrate.</p>
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<h3 id="CJ5Avq"><strong>Tito</strong></h3>
<p id="8JaCsT">Remember that one time when Jose Mourinho said achieving 2nd place with a pre-Bruno Fernandes Manchester United was his greatest career achievement and we all laughed? If Jurgen Klopp were to make the same statement about Liverpool’s third-place season, the footballing world would simply nod in solemn agreement. </p>
<p id="BkfkNo">A season-ending injury to the best centre back in the world was hard enough. But to also lose his first and second choice partners for the season, the club’s captain, and then to have two of their three world class attackers come down with Covid-19? Most would’ve written the season off. But not these Reds. Finishing in the Champions League league places was the minimum acceptable option to start the season, and that they somehow managed that in the end maintains the trajectory of a project begun even before Klopp arrived—playing in the Europa League next season, without oil money to fall back on, might well have begun a downward spiral for this side that’s come so far.</p>
<p id="YsI50e">Players having to perform isolated away from their families for long stretches of the season. Players who would’ve run through brick walls for their teammates and manager. A team that had to contend with catastrophic injuries and awful form—and <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-news-coverage/2021/4/20/22393521/liverpool-fenway-sports-group-leave-players-jurgen-klopp-in-dark-super-league-money-grab-fsg-out">owners seeking to mangle the game beyond recognition</a>—still managing to squeeze themselves into the top four. This was truly a season where Klopp’s mentality monsters proved their mettle just as much as in their romp to the league title last year and their Champions League the season before. Third is more than just third this time around.</p>
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<h3 id="5yOph9"><strong>Gabe</strong></h3>
<p id="U2y44V">Coming into this season, after the Jota and Thiago transfers last summer, I thought we were going to be watching the deepest, most talented team in recent Liverpool history. It felt like this was a squad that would go toe-to-toe with <a href="https://bitterandblue.sbnation.com">Manchester City</a> for the Premier League title and go deep in the Champions League, a squad that could win it all again.</p>
<p id="ZX0oDW">Of course, what we ended up seeing instead was an injury crisis of unprecedented scope. Klopp, who prefers to rely on settled squads with consistent patterns of play, had to field an ever growing list of players and combinations just to get bodies onto the field. In the end, after everything this team endured—from the mental difficulties of being isolated to the physical demands of the fixture list coupled with injuries and illness—finishing third is an amazing accomplishment.</p>
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<h3 id="cM4ucd"><strong>Avantika </strong></h3>
<p id="k0KZOO">We started this season as PL winners, believed for a while that we could win it again this year, saw it all crumble real fast, gave up hope of European football next season, and then regained some last-minute hope as we were pushed over the line running on fumes. I’d say this is what Liverpool fandom always feels like, but even then this has been a particularly torturous emotional arc. </p>
<p id="bNbFxY">The thing is, though, I never for a second lost the love and fondness I have for this group of players. I saw them go through some real lows, and felt each event like it was happening to me. And I came out feeling compassion for what they went through and admiration for their grit. It takes a special coach and set of personalities to build this sort of emotional bond with a fan who lives on another continent. A fan who spent a drunken night on a rooftop in New Delhi in March tearfully explaining our downward spiral to a bunch of mildly interested friends. <em>First, they lost Virgil. Then they lost Joe! Then Hendo! That’s too much! No one deserves that much misfortune! But they’re still running, and fighting, and persevering!</em> </p>
<p id="kmWyVH">For Liverpool Football Club as a corporate machine, on the other hand—the one that tried to found a Super League, to access government funds to pay staff, and have consistently treated the women’s team like trash—there’s far less positive to take from the past year. And the cruel reality is that sustained success at the highest levels seems more or less impossible without having calculating and predatory billionaires at the helm. That’s what capitalism has made of modern sport and it’s something I, a lowly fan, can’t do a lot to change on my own. But it’s something that maybe the fans, players, referees, staff, and all the rest can challenge over time, the way they bullied the Super League off John Henry’s to-do list. </p>
<p id="qbfDwx">As far as the players are concerned, though, there really is so much to love about this season—the arrival of Thiago, the sensation that is Diogo Jota, beating United 4-2, Mo Salah’s abundance of goals, Alisson’s goal, Fabinho’s importance, the now universal acceptance of Jordan Henderson as a remarkable leader. And finishing third in the league table. Somehow. In spite of everything.</p>
<p id="abffVL">It seems dumb to say I feel tired while Andy Robertson lives and breathes and runs up and down the left wing, but mostly today I’m immensely grateful that I get to watch this team once or twice a week and to root for them.</p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="YSyeZs">
<h2 id="2rCgY2"><strong>TLO’s 2020-21 Season Review</strong></h2>
<h4 id="w55QtJ">
<strong>Monday — Part 1: Putting 2020-21 Into Perspective</strong><br><strong>Tuesday — </strong><a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-tactics-longform/2021/5/25/22452707/liverpool-2020-21-review-memorable-alisson-goal-west-brom-firmino-salah-celebration-nat-phillips"><strong>Part 2: 2020-21’s Most Memorable Moments</strong></a><br><strong>Wednesday — </strong><a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-tactics-longform/2021/5/26/22454484/liverpool-2020-21-season-review-best-performers-salah-robertson-struggles-injuries-mane-keita"><strong>Part 3: Underperformers and Overachievers</strong></a><br><strong>Thursday — </strong><a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-tactics-longform/2021/5/27/22456355/liverpool-fc-2020-21-season-review-mistakes-centre-back-depth-van-dijk-schedule-super-league"><strong>Part 4: Could 2020-21 Have Gone Differently?</strong></a><br><strong>Friday — Part 5: What’s Needed for 2021-22?</strong>
</h4>
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https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/liverpool-fc-tactics-longform/2021/5/24/22450970/liverpool-offside-2020-21-premier-league-season-review-perspective-coronavirus-injuries-strugglesNoel ChomynepicskylineZachary MarxWaterWorldIsMyNightmaredxtehsecksCruyff Turns AnonymousAvantika GoswamiO.T. Obaisi