As Liverpool prepare to launch themselves into another new season, how do This is Anfield’s writers think their campaign will pan out?
The Reds enjoyed an excellent pre-season and look primed for an assault on the Premier League title following a productive summer of transfer business.
Jurgen Klopp has assembled arguably Liverpool’s strongest squad for 30 years, which should allow them to thrive across four competitions.
With lots of questions up in the air ahead of the new season, we asked This Is Anfield’s writers for their LFC-specific predictions for 2018/19.
Matt Ladson
Predicted finish: 1st
Top Goalscorer: Mo Salah
Player of the Year: Naby Keita
Best New Signing: Keita
Flop of the Season: Divock Origi or Dominic Solanke if either of them hang around.
Best XI: (4-3-3) Alisson, Trent, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Henderson, Keita, Salah, Firmino, Mane
This season I’d be happy with a trophy. Any trophy, but ideally the title please.
Jack Lusby
Predicted finish: 1st
Top Goalscorer: Mo Salah
Player of the Year: Naby Keita
Best New Signing: Keita
Flop of the Season: Dominic Solanke
Best XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Keita, Wijnaldum, Salah, Mane, Firmino
This season I’d be happy with winning the league!
Henry Jackson
Predicted finish: 2nd
Top Goalscorer: Mo Salah
Player of the Year: Salah
Best New Signing: Naby Keita
Flop of the Season: Joel Matip
Best XI: (4-3-3) Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Henderson, Keita, Mane, Salah, Firmino
This season I’d be happy with a major title push – still being in contention in April – and a trophy of some kind.
The wait for silverware would be a massive monkey off Klopp’s back.
James Nalton
Predicted finish: 2nd
Top Goalscorer: Roberto Firmino
Player of the Year: Firmino
Best New Signing: Naby Keita
Flop of the Season: Nobody
Best XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Keita, Wijnaldum, Salah, Mane, Firmino
This season I’d be happy with a proper title challenge where there is the chance to win it right until the end.
If they don’t win that then they need a trophy from elsewhere. Liverpool are a bit behind Arsenal and Man United in terms of FA Cup wins, so one of those.
Joanna Durkin
Predicted finish: 2nd
Top Goalscorer: Mo Salah
Player of the Year: Sadio Mane
Best New Signing: Naby Keita
Flop of the Season: Joel Matip
Best XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson, Henderson, Fabinho, Keita, Salah, Firmino, Mane
This season I’d be happy with a league finish inside the top three and a piece of silverware to go along with it. Our squad is certainly capable of it, if not more.
Joel Rabinowitz
Predicted finish: Champions
Top Goalscorer: Mo Salah
Player of the Year: Salah
Best New Signing: Naby Keita
Flop of the Season: Joel Matip
Best XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Henderson, Keita, Salah, Firmino, Mane
This season I’d be happy with a genuine title challenge, minimum top-three finish, a domestic trophy and progression to the Champions League quarter-finals at least.
Steven Scragg
Predicted finish: Champions. Let’s be bold.
Top Goalscorer: Mo Salah
Player of the Year: Fabinho. A title win built upon the ‘New Souness’.
Best New Signing: Alisson
Flop of the Season: Gini Wijnaldum
Best XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Henderson, Keita, Salah, Firmino, Mane.
This season I’d be happy with nothing less than the title.
Aaron Cutler
Predicted finish: 3rd
Top Goalscorer: Mo Salah
Player of the Year: Sadio Mane
Best New Signing: Naby Keita
Flop of the Season:Best XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson, Keita, Henderson, Lallana, Salah, Firmino, Mane
This season I’d be happy with a sustained title challenge and silverware.
Alex Malone
Predicted finish: 1st
Top Goalscorer: Mo Salah
Player of the Year: Naby Keita
Best New Signing: Keita
Flop of the Season: Nathaniel Clyne. I don’t think he will displace Trent Alexander-Arnold, and in the games he does play, his forward play will continue to disappoint.
Best XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Keita, Shaqiri, Mane, Salah, Firmino
I don’t think Dejan Lovren is the long-term answer as the first-choice partner for Virgil van Dijk, but as it stands, Joe Gomez is not (yet) experienced enough to displace him, Joel Matip is unreliable injury-wise and Ragnar Klavan is back-up only.
This season I’d be happy with a minimum top-two finish, a trophy and another deep run in the Champions League.
We have the squad to achieve this now. I think third or fourth would be disappointing given Chelsea and Arsenal have changed managers, Tottenham have signed nobody and Jose Mourinho is already in self-destruct mode.
Karl Matchett
Predicted finish: 1st
Top Goalscorer: Salah, as he’ll get most chances.
Player of the Year: Mane. Playmaking duties to increase his importance and more goals to come too.
Best New Signing: Keita
Flop of the Season: Adam Lallana. Play slows down too much when he’s on the ball to maintain the rhythm that the usual starters have.
When the second string come in, he isn’t a difference-maker in the way others can be.
Best XI: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Lovren, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Keita, Henderson, Mane, Salah, Firmino.
This season I’d be happy with first place, or within half a dozen points. It’s a lot of ground to make up in one season.
If not the league, a trophy elsewhere.
* Click here to see how right or wrong we predicted things a year ago.
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