Insidious
13th December 2020, 08:18 PM
Alright, so 38 doesn't neatly divide by 3, but we're pretty much a third of the way into this crazy season.
Let's look at a few things, firstly those which haven't been so good.
Difficulties
- We have had plenty of injuries, including to our first-choice centre-back pairing.
- VAR has arguably robbed us of points, with Everton and Brighton looking fairly suspect.
- We've already conceded 18 League goals, having conceded 33 for the entirety of the 19/20 season.
- Firmino, an integral player in our set-up under Klopp, hasn't been at his very best, which has a big effect.
- We were knocked out of the League Cup.
However, despite all that, there are some things to be pleased about.
Not-too-shabby.
- We've scored 27 goals in 12 games - we scored 85 League goals in 19/20 so we aren't actually far off our pace.
- We are joint-top of the League.
- We won our Champion's League Group with a game to spare.
- Our knock-out from the League Cup is probably a blessing really, with the injury/rotation situation.
- City, theoretically our strongest challengers, remain 3 points behind even if they win their game in hand.
- We have only lost one League game. It's easier to turn draws to wins than losses to wins.
Six points separate 1st place from 9th place. Just six. In short, nobody is yet running away with it.
Hardly awful, is it?
The 16th, 17th, 23rd or 24th of February will be when we next play a European match.
We'll potentially have played 24 League matches by that time, so Europe isn't a worry for a while and if we feel so inclined, we can field kids/fringe for the FA Cup. I know it's a Competition that some fans love, but Honestly, we don't really "need" it this season - disagree if you will but for me it's just an invitation for injuries and I'd happily take getting knocked out by Villa to save our squad for the League and Champion's League.
I still maintain that if we're within 5 points off the side in first place by the time mid-February comes, then we have every chance of winning the League again - there should be roughly 12-13 League matches left by that time.
The Midtjylland and Fulham result may itch a bit, but we have a cushion of a few points over plenty of the sides competing for the Title or for Top Four, plus have recent League-winning experience. By Noon on Monday we will have a target when it comes to Europe as we'll know who we're playing and come Wednesday night we will be playing for an opportunity to go 3 points clear, with the worst-case scenario being that we go 3 points behind, with 25 matches left and players being closer to returning from injury.
Don't shrink. Think. We are very much competing for a title defence which we haven't been able to say for a long time, have a mentally strong Manager and Captain, plus have some top players on the books and a January window around the corner should that be an option the Club wishes to explore. Everything to play for yet - the season is young and nobody's anywhere near sprinting speed in a race of stops, starts and stutters.
Let's look at a few things, firstly those which haven't been so good.
Difficulties
- We have had plenty of injuries, including to our first-choice centre-back pairing.
- VAR has arguably robbed us of points, with Everton and Brighton looking fairly suspect.
- We've already conceded 18 League goals, having conceded 33 for the entirety of the 19/20 season.
- Firmino, an integral player in our set-up under Klopp, hasn't been at his very best, which has a big effect.
- We were knocked out of the League Cup.
However, despite all that, there are some things to be pleased about.
Not-too-shabby.
- We've scored 27 goals in 12 games - we scored 85 League goals in 19/20 so we aren't actually far off our pace.
- We are joint-top of the League.
- We won our Champion's League Group with a game to spare.
- Our knock-out from the League Cup is probably a blessing really, with the injury/rotation situation.
- City, theoretically our strongest challengers, remain 3 points behind even if they win their game in hand.
- We have only lost one League game. It's easier to turn draws to wins than losses to wins.
Six points separate 1st place from 9th place. Just six. In short, nobody is yet running away with it.
Hardly awful, is it?
The 16th, 17th, 23rd or 24th of February will be when we next play a European match.
We'll potentially have played 24 League matches by that time, so Europe isn't a worry for a while and if we feel so inclined, we can field kids/fringe for the FA Cup. I know it's a Competition that some fans love, but Honestly, we don't really "need" it this season - disagree if you will but for me it's just an invitation for injuries and I'd happily take getting knocked out by Villa to save our squad for the League and Champion's League.
I still maintain that if we're within 5 points off the side in first place by the time mid-February comes, then we have every chance of winning the League again - there should be roughly 12-13 League matches left by that time.
The Midtjylland and Fulham result may itch a bit, but we have a cushion of a few points over plenty of the sides competing for the Title or for Top Four, plus have recent League-winning experience. By Noon on Monday we will have a target when it comes to Europe as we'll know who we're playing and come Wednesday night we will be playing for an opportunity to go 3 points clear, with the worst-case scenario being that we go 3 points behind, with 25 matches left and players being closer to returning from injury.
Don't shrink. Think. We are very much competing for a title defence which we haven't been able to say for a long time, have a mentally strong Manager and Captain, plus have some top players on the books and a January window around the corner should that be an option the Club wishes to explore. Everything to play for yet - the season is young and nobody's anywhere near sprinting speed in a race of stops, starts and stutters.