From having a target to being the target, can Liverpool retain the title in the ‘most intense season'?

Jurgen Klopp and his side now face an entirely fresh challenge - they are no longer looking up and having to find the edges to close a gap, they have to maintain one

Liverpool face a new challenge this season (Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

As Liverpool were scorching their way through Europe to reach the 2018 Champions League final in Kiev, while attempting to secure a place in the following edition of the tournament by finishing in the top-four, Jurgen Klopp would break away from the preparations involved domestically and on the continent to consider future advancement.

Manchester City, under the relentless management of Pep Guardiola, were blitzing towards breaking the 100-point mark and redefining the requirements to win the league. To get close to them, the Merseysiders would have to eradicate their weaknesses but also maximise the edges, which occupied Klopp’s mind.

Liverpool would begin the 2018-19 campaign having lost the European Cup final to Real Madrid in devastating circumstances, while also needing to claw at a 25-point gap to City.

During pre-season, there was confidence it could be reduced due to a number of factors: the club had strengthened in the transfer market that summer, particularly with the additions of Alisson and Fabinho, but they had also fortified off the pitch.

Pep Lijnders rejoined Liverpool as an assistant to Klopp a six-month stint in charge of NEC Nijmegen, replacing the prickly and averse-to-change Zeljko Buvac. Head physio Lee Nobes was poached from the defending champions in November 2018 having served them for 11 years. Philipp Jacobsen was appointed to the new position of medical rehabilitation and performance manager.

As he had done during his opening months on Merseyside, Klopp studied what the team behind the team were missing and fixed it. Mona Nemmer and Andreas Kornmayer were recruited back then to head up nutrition and conditioning respectively, and the aim of building a world-class operation at Melwood was still in play.

The manager’s research led him to realise Liverpool were not using the 40-50 throw-ins that occur on average per game to their advantage, so he added in Thomas Gronnemark to amend that.

That pre-season, Liverpool funnelled massive attention to their set-piece work, never repeating routines. They had also zoned in on two key elements: ‘win the fitness, you have the chance to win everything’ and ‘if you want to go fast, focus on attacking. If you want to go far, focus on defending.’

Liverpool finished 2018-19 an agonising one point behind City in the league, but were then crowned champions of Europe, winning their first trophy of the Klopp era against Tottenham in Madrid. The top takeaways was that their title rivals were not untouchable and they were now winners.

When the squad reported for the start of 2019-20, they were fuelled by finally landing a major piece of silverware and had the mentality of, as Andy Robertson put it, “showing everyone we can win the league, and we can go again and get the better of Man City this time and not be behind them.”

Klopp loved the attitude and the intensity he had seen in training sessions. To enhance the squad’s resolve, he enlisted the help of Sebastian Steudtner, one of the world’s best big wave surfers, to teach the group there was no limits to what they could achieve. A simple exercise of holding their breath under water for as long as possible, removing all stress and mental boundaries while doing so, proved useful.

Liverpool knew they had to be near-perfect to oust City and so winning by whatever means necessary supplanted having to win in style. The Reds played better football the season prior, but were utterly relentless as they ended a 30-year wait for the title in 2019-20.

As a new term approaches, Klopp now has an entirely different challenge - he is no longer looking up and having to find the edges to close a gap, his charges have to maintain one.

This after already achieving what the club pined for most - doing so in ridiculously emphatic fashion. The chasing pack were stung and have been determined to react. It is inconceivable that City will end 18 off the pace again, while Chelsea will be aware the pressure is on after their mega spend.

Manchester United, like Frank Lampard’s charges, were 33 points adrift and will look to mend some of their deficiencies in the market.

Liverpool have so far only added left-back Kostas Tsimikas (£11.75m) as cover for Robertson to the roster ahead of the new campaign. They are short at centre-back and can do with a foil for the front three that is a stylistic fit.

There is significant interest in Bayern Munich's Thiago. Klopp has a wealth of options in midfield, but the 29-year-old would offer a different dimension and new skillset, which can aid their evolution. Squad harmony has been key to the manager's mind and he has only wanted to sanction a move if that department is trimmed first, but there could be a shift in that approach. Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman’s pursuit of Georginio Wijnaldum adds an interesting dynamic to that equation, but Liverpool would ideally have both players on their books and cut the fringe numbers.

Liverpool have already ceded two strong voices in the dressing room and experienced heads in Adam Lallana and Dejan Lovren.

Klopp has been prepared to be patient in the market, noting “there’s a long time to go until 6 October. We will deal with our situation like we always did. I think the philosophy of this club is pretty clear. We will see how much we can, or how much we want, to spend and all these kinds of things.”

Given perceived wisdom that 90+ points is now what is needed to be crowned champions of England and with no team ever doing that in three consecutive seasons, how can Liverpool buck the trend?

Maintaining their incredible defensive record, which only stuttered once the league was pretty much wrapped up and human nature kicked in, will be instrumental.

Klopp has placed an emphasis on internal improvement. He expects greater contributions from Naby Keita and Takumi Minamino - the standout performers during pre-season - as well as further development from the likes of Curtis Jones. He is confident that the unrelenting drive that fired his “mentality monsters” to Liverpool’s first title in three decades will not have disappeared as they seek to go back to back.

In the shortest, most intense season ever, the German believes Liverpool’s settled squad have an advantage as there is no need to integrate several new faces and spend time trying to build cohesion. There has also been a focus on evolution on the training pitches with the knowledge that opponents will continue trying to restrict the influence of the full-backs.

Klopp looks at his group and sees a world-class unit with a world-class attitude. His starting 11 features what he feels is the best goalkeeper in the game, the best centre-back, an explosive and well-balanced front three, a tactically astute midfield and two of the greatest attacking weapons on each defensive flank.

But beyond that, he has made it clear that without the entire squad and the standards set in training - the ‘Yellows’ giving the XI a torrid time in the shape sessions before matches - as well as the collective culture of excellence around the place, Liverpool would not have become champions of Europe, England and the world.

They are not finished and he is not finished. It would explain why his rhetoric has been that the team would attack this season and not defend what they have. The target is now on Liverpool’s back, but this is precisely what they wanted and worked towards.

And so it all starts again - the need to be near-perfect. It starts with Leeds United as the visitors to Anfield, where Klopp’s side have not suffered a league defeat in three full seasons.