When you’ve experienced an ascent as great as Liverpool’s in the last 24 months which has seen the historic club win the Champions League, Club World Cup and return to the pinnacle of the English game with 2019/20’s Premier League success, there’s a temptation to rest on your laurels.
That shouldn’t be the case with this Liverpool side under Jurgen Klopp, whose mentality to become the very best has arguably been unrivalled in the last couple of seasons (Manchester City and Bayern Munich may have a thing or two to say about this claim!).
Going into 2020/21, the casual observer may suggest the Reds might not be as impenetrable, dogged and ruthless as they have been in the last two campaigns, an argument certainly set to be put to the test on Saturday. However, other observers would counter that Community Shield success or otherwise gives little or nothing away as to the level of the champions’ motivation for the new season.
From an African persuasion, three individuals immediately stand out when broaching the topic of ambition going into the fresh campaign: Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Naby Keita.
Sadio Mane
Without question, last term was Mane’s best for Liverpool and the finest of his time in English football. Statistically, the forward outdid his overall return from 18/19, when he scored 22 and assisted one, to post three more goal contributions – 18 goals and seven assists.
Midway through an unprecedentedly long season, the Senegal star was named African Footballer of the Year, a deserved success by many observers’ estimation. He could, and probably should, have scored more but for unsatisfactory finishing sometimes, evidenced by his 18 big chances missed in the previous season.
For context, when Mane scored 22 times to end joint-Golden Boot winner, he failed to tuck away 11 clear-cut opportunities. Ideally, with last season’s return, the West African should have missed nine big chances. The fact his eventual figure was double that number was striking.
In some way, it probably explains why the former Southampton forward couldn’t retain the top scorer’s award despite Liverpool’s title success. That honour went to Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy (23 goals), even though the Englishman’s drop off in the second part of the season meant the chasing pack had a chance going into the final weeks of 19/20.
While collective success obviously remains of supreme importance, retaining his African honour and reclaiming the Golden Boot would represent individual success for Mane.
Mohamed Salah
Having had arguably the best individual season in Prem history in 17/18, Salah has been unable to match that outstanding year, although he has remained one of the best players in the league.
Despite a reversion to the mean in subsequent seasons, the brilliant Egypt attacker has still delivered really impressive numbers for Klopp’s side. His goal return of 19 was one more than Mane and he posted three more league assists than his teammate, with whom he shares a friendly rivalry.
Still, knowing how driven the North African star is, there will have been some disappointment at his inability to retain the Golden Boot last term. Success would have been Salah’s third on the spin, a feat managed only by Alan Shearer and Arsenal great Thierry Henry in the league’s history.
After failing to end top scorer in 19/20, claiming a third Golden Boot will probably be the former Chelsea man’s principal target, as will outdoing Mane to indicate he remains Klopp’s most prolific marksman. Success will see him move level with Shearer (three) and one behind Henry (four) as the only players to end top scorer on more than two occasions.
Naby Keita
With Keita, the primary goal will be cementing his place in the Reds midfield after an injury-plagued 24 months on Merseyside.
After missing out on many occasions in the last two years, the ex-RB Leipzig dynamo will hope to carry even more responsibility for Klopp in what will undoubtedly be a draining 20/21. Of course, the Guinea international’s minutes on the pitch have to be managed given his history but there’s a feeling he hasn’t quite shown what he’s all about since moving to Anfield, and the upcoming campaign will be huge for the West African.
Indeed, 'Naby Lad'’s strong finish to the end of the just-concluded campaign indicated that the dynamic midfielder could play an even more crucial role for Liverpool in the new season, provided he stays fit.
The rumoured arrival of the world class Bayern Munich maestro Thiago Alcantara would suggest minutes may be harder to come by next season, but it’ll be up to 'Deco' to thrive regardless of a potentially classy midfield operator challenging him for a place in the side.
There’s also a tendency to forget the gigantic Joel Matip, who lost his place in the team to Joe Gomez due to the latter’s greater mobility and persistent injury problems. Without question, the Cameroon centre-back will hope to become Virgil van Dijk’s partner at the heart of the defence, but supplanting the established English defender will be no mean feat.
Collectively, retaining the Premier League title ought to be Liverpool’s major goal for next season. While critics would argue that Champions League success ought to take precedence, especially given last term’s disappointing defeat by Atletico Madrid in the first knockout round, back-to-back Prem wins would cement the Reds’ domestic dominance.
Only three teams – Manchester United, Chelsea and, until recently, Manchester City – have retained their league crown in 28 years, and Klopp will want his side to join that illustrious group. Aiming higher, the Merseyside club could push for both titles, becoming only the second English side after Sir Alex Ferguson’s United to achieve Prem and UCL success.
If anyone thought Liverpool had little to play for in 20/21, they surely need to rethink that standpoint. The Reds may have reached the acme in England and Europe in the last two seasons, but the current group can still achieve a lot more.
Boosted by the goals of their African triumvirate, Klopp’s troops could aim for untouchable status next term, with many of their rivals putting a target on their backs this time around.