Liverpool's ideal starting XI for 2018/19 season

Liverpool v S.S.C Napoli - Pre Season Friendly
No excuses for Jurgen Klopp anymore. He must deliver trophies now

Jurgen Klopp has splashed the cash and there are no excuses for him anymore. It's time for him to deliver trophies to Liverpool. The pressure will come from the fans and journalists. Alisson Becker, Fabinho, Naby Keita and Xherdan Shaqiri are the new players at Anfield Road.

To bring these players, Liverpool have spent more than £150 million. They probably did the best business this summer out of all clubs in the English Premier League.

Last season Liverpool finished fourth in the Premiership and also they reached the final of the Champions League. Jurgen Klopp now has the best squad since his time at the club. Their squad looks very good and they will surely battle for the trophies this season. Many pundits think that they are the only side capable of challenging Manchester City for the Premier League.

Liverpool fans have many reasons to be very excited about the new season. In the picture below, you can see Liverpool's ideal starting lineup for 2018/19 season.

Liverpool'
Liverpool's ideal starting lineup for the upcoming season

However, Liverpool's biggest loss this summer is the departure of Klopp's assistant Željko Buvač. It will be interesting to see how Klopp copes without Buvač.


Goalkeeper

Liverpool's system is based on quick transitions, and to perform that they need a goalkeeper who is confident on the ball. Lloris Karius made some horrible mistakes in the Champions League final match against Real Madrid. After that match, Jurgen Klopp decided that he must buy a new goalkeeper. In July, Liverpool bought Alisson Becker for a world record transfer fee of £67 million for a goalkeeper.

Liverpool v S.S.C Napoli - Pre Season Friendly
Alisson Becker

Alisson is very comfortable on the ball and he is excellent at distributing from the back. His distribution will give Liverpool another dimension and he can break the first line of opposition pressing. His presence on the field will be huge for Liverpool's defence. They will make less errors as they are more confident in the keeper behind them. His shot stopping will reduce the number of goals they concede.

Defenders

Liverpool's ideal back 4 should ideally be: Right-back: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Centre-backs: Dejan Lovren and Virgil van Dijk, Left-back: Andrew Robertson.

Real Madrid v Liverpool - UEFA Champions League Final
Should Trenet Alexander Arnold be Liverpool's starting right back for this season?

Although Nathaniel Clyne is now back to full fitness, Klopp should choose Trent Alexander-Arnold to be his starting right back for this season. Trent is magnificent for his age. He is excellent offensively and he will be a constant attacking threat on the right side.

Klopp's system requires attacking fullbacks who can run up and down the pitch and I see Trent as a better option than Clyne. He has also improved a lot on his defending.

A.S. Roma v Liverpool - UEFA Champions League Semi Final Second Leg
Virgil van Dijk and Dejan Lovren

There are no dilemmas who will play in the centre back positions. Dejan Lovren and Virgil van Dijk are currently best centre-backs in Liverpool's squad. They created a great partnership in the second half of the last season. Klopp has kept faith in Lovren by not buying a new centre-back.

So, it is up to Lovren now to repay the faith by putting in some more good performances. There's a reason why Virgil van Dijk is the most expensive defender. He proved that last season by helping Liverpool to reach the Champions League final.

Blackburn Rovers v Liverpool - Pre-Season Friendly
Andrew Robertson

Last summer Andrew Robertson came to Liverpool to provide competition for Alberto Moreno on the left back position. After Moreno's injury, Robertson started to play regularly and since then, he is performing so well and that helped him to keep his spot in the starting lineup. His work rate is his biggest strength and that helps Liverpool's high pressure. He is only 24 and it looks like Liverpool have sorted out their problems with left back positions for the fu

Midfielders

Chester FC v Liverpool - Pre-Season Friendly
Fabinho

Liverpool's midfield was their biggest weakness in the second half of the last season. Their midfield wasn't awful, just not on the same level as their front three. The signings of Naby Keita and Fabinho mean that Liverpool now boast one of the best midfield in the league. Wijnaldum, Lallana, Henderson and Milner battle for that third spot in the midfield.

The defensive midfielder is probably the most important position in football. World class defensive midfielders make their club title challengers. A strong defensive midfielder is something Liverpool have missed since the departure of Javier Mascherano.

This summer, Liverpool bought Fabinho from Monaco. Fabinho is one of the best players in the world in his position. Fabinho will be a defensive wall in front of the centre-backs. Also, he will provide the defensive cover for the fullbacks. This work may go unnoticed but I am sure that he will be one of the first names on the team sheet for Liverpool this season. Also, at the age of 24, he has plenty of room to improve.

Blackburn Rovers v Liverpool - Pre-Season Friendly
Naby Keita

Naby Keita is another midfielder who came to Liverpool this summer. Undoubtedly, he is one of the most exciting players to join Liverpool in a long time. His pressing and work rate make him ideal for Klopp's system. He is exceptional defensively. Also, he has an attacking flair that will be wasted if his role will be to defend only.

But, Fabinho will free him up to have an attacking role. He is often compared to Kante because both of them are roaming midfielders with a low centre of gravity. He is also a very versatile player because he can play deep if needed or right behind Firmino and anywhere in between.

Bury v Liverpool - Pre-Season Friendly
James Milner

Alex-Oxlade Chamberlain will be out for the whole season. So, James Milner should be the third member of Liverpool's midfield for this season. He doesn't get enough attention for his role in this team. He is 32 and he still works the hardest and leads the team by example. Milner has a huge influence in the dressing room because he is one of the few experienced players Klopp has at his disposal. Liverpool's midfield could provide much more services for the attackers.

Fowards

Liverpool FC v 1899 Hoffenheim - UEFA Champions League Qualifying Play-Offs Round: Second Leg
Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah

The front three positions are reserved for well-known names: Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino. Last season they were the most deadly partnership in Europe. Together they scored 91 goals in all competitions for Liverpool.

Firmino normally plays as a false nine. No player in this squad is better equipped to Jurgen Klopp's system than Brazillian forward. Firmino is incredibly good at making smart runs and good movements. Firmino often roams where he wants.

Mane will play on the left wing. He regularly cuts inside because he is right footed. Salah will play on the right wing and his role is more like a poacher. Instead of dropping deep, he plays more directly and he is the most likely player to find himself in a 1vs1 situation out of the three. Because of that, he scores more goals than Firmino and Mane.

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Edited by Zeeshan Ali
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