Recent history is suggestive that Liverpool needs to start off strong and build off from there on for them to win the PL title in the 2023-24 season.
The Reds will start their season with new enthusiasm. A bunch of new players, new formations, and new tactics will make it interesting to see how they compete.
The Anfield giants were chasing quadruple glory by the end of the 2021-22 season. However, it all went downhill from there within just a short span of six months.
Liverpool had a slow start to the 2022-23 season where in the opening month, they collected 8 points from 5 games. This included a 2-1 loss against arch-rivals Manchester United.
And the club finished 5th in the PL table and also missed Champions League football. This is one of the recent examples of the theory. Although this is not the only instance where this happened.
Liverpool need a good start in the 2023-24 season
History has been evident that in order to secure the top 4 in PL, the Merseysiders must average two points or more per game from their opening 10 fixtures.
In Rafael Benitez’s last season as Liverpool’s manager, the Reds collected 18 points in the first 10 games.
Eventually, they ended in 5th position in that month, 6 points behind Chelsea, who would go on to be the champions of 2009-10. Moreover, the Merseysiders finished 7th on the table and Benitez was sacked.
A similar thing happened in the last season of Brendan Rodgers, where the Anfield side accumulated just 14 points from the opening 10 games in the 2014-15 season.
The team finished 6th as Chelsea again went on to lift the Premier League trophy.
Exceptions are there
However, there have been seasons where despite the team failing to average 2 points per game in the opening 10, they have managed to finish top 4.
The Merseysiders secured 4th place under Gerard Houllier’s management in the 2003-04 season.
Rafa Benitez managed to secure 3rd place in both the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons despite the said condition not being met.
And most recently, our current boss Jurgen Klopp finished in 4th after just getting 16 points in the first 10 games in the 2017-18 season (stats via Transfermarkt).
However, a good start in the 2023-24 season will boost this team’s morale. It will also ensure that the team is ready to challenge for the PL title.
An ardent football fan and a proud Red. I take immense pleasure in analyzing the intricacies of the game.
