Until March, Jurgen Klopp's last season managing Liverpool would be a triumph.
After winning the Carabao Cup with "kids," the revitalized Reds led the Premier League and aimed for the FA Cup and Europa League quarterfinals. The manager was German.
The wheels, nevertheless, fell off theatrically. Following their shocking FA Cup loss to Manchester United, Klopp admitted that Liverpool's confidence took a nosedive.
Despite dominating the match, they drew another game at Old Trafford, marking their title challenge's beginning and end.
In Dublin, Klopp's hopes of securing a Europa League final send-off were thwarted by Atalanta, who went on to win the tournament.
Considering Klopp's squad's strength was seriously questioned at the start of the season, the season was a success overall.
Last season, Liverpool's midfield makeover paid off, as the club won a trophy and returned to the Champions League with a third-place finish in the Premier League.
Leaving the team in good shape for Arne Slot to take over allowed Klopp to say his tearful goodbyes at Anfield.
How will Liverpool do in their debut season with their new Dutch manager? That is, of course, the burning question...
Nothing noteworthy at all. The only players to leave Anfield this summer have been Brentford's acquisition of Fabio Carvalho for £27.5 million ($35 million)—a hefty figure for a guy who never appeared to be cutting it at Liverpool.
To add insult to injury, Thiago Alcantara and Joel Matip left when their contracts expired after last season, so the fact that the first team is still waiting for reinforcements is very concerning.
After initially expressing his willingness to join Anfield, Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi ultimately decided to stay in San Sebastian due to intense pressure from his Basque employers to remain loyal to his hometown club.
This ended Liverpool's long search for a specialist No.6, as the hope had been that he would be convinced to join.
If rumors are to be believed, Liverpool will not have a backup plan for their world-class defensive midfielder; therefore, they will have to start the season hoping that Ryan Gravenberch can step up and play an essential part, maybe in tandem with the excellent Alexis Mac Allister.
Although there appears to be progress in a deal to bring Giorgi Mamardashvili, a goalkeeper, to Anfield from Valencia, the Georgia international is likely to be loaned out immediately—possibly to Bournemouth—before making a future return to Anfield to replace Alisson Becker.
This situation is further highlighted by Caoimhin Kelleher, the Brazilian's outstanding understudy, still at Anfield.
The importance of Van Dijk's involvement is evident, especially considering Liverpool's defensive collapse towards the end of last season.
The signing of a new central defender during the summer was anticipated to bolster the defense. However, that has yet to materialize, leaving the captain again responsible for maintaining unity.
He faces difficulty demonstrating his continued competence at 33 when his future with the club is still being determined.
It makes no difference where Mac Allister plays; he is crucial to the engine room's efficiency.
If a new number six shows up after the transfer deadline, the Reds will need the Argentine to repeat his fantastic performance from his debut season at Anfield.
Nonetheless, it can't be denied that Salah is the key to Liverpool's success.
His relatively sharp decline in form as he battled to recover from an injury he sustained at the Africa Cup of Nations was a massive setback for Liverpool, as he is the one forward they can practically always rely on to be healthy and score goals.
The bright side is that Salah reestablished his impressive preseason form. If he regains his exceptional form, Liverpool can do anything.
No right winger in football is more dangerous than performing at his peak.
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