Former Manchester United defender and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville has made a surprising prediction about Liverpool’s prospects for the upcoming Premier League season.
According to Neville, the Merseyside club may face a difficult season without Jurgen Klopp at the helm, potentially finishing outside the top six.
Jurgen Klopp’s departure: An end of an era at Liverpool
After nine years of remarkable success, Jurgen Klopp left the club at the end of last season, marking the end of an era.
Klopp’s tenure at Anfield was illustrious, as he led the Reds to multiple trophies, including a Premier League title that ended the club’s 30-year wait.
Under his guidance, Liverpool were always expected to be serious title contenders. However, with him gone and Arne Slot replacing him, there is uncertainty on how the Merseyside giants will fare without Klopp. On top of this, they have not made a single signing this summer, much to the supporters’ frustration.
Despite this, Liverpool had a strong pre-season, winning all their games, including impressive victories against Manchester United, Arsenal, and Sevilla. However, Neville remains sceptical about their chances in the Premier League.
Gary Neville on where Liverpool will finish in the upcoming season
In the latest episode of the Stick to Football podcast, Neville expressed his doubts about Liverpool’s ability to finish in the top four, going further to predict they might even struggle to finish in the top six.
Neville questioned whether the loss of Klopp’s leadership could have a negative impact on the team, comparing it to situations at other clubs where the departure of a successful manager led to a significant decline. He also suggested that the lack of new signings and potential uncertainty within the squad could contribute to their struggles this season.
He said:
“Not sure [about top four]. My surprise is Liverpool won’t finish in the top six. Is there a risk with what Klopp got out of that group last season, is there a risk that Liverpool just purely because of what happened with other clubs where managers of that ilk, is there a risk they could tank?”
“It won’t have helped the changing room losing out on that player I don’t think. The older players will be thinking ‘what’s going on here?’. It will unnerve you when you miss out on a player you think you’re going to get.”
Liverpool will kick off their campaign with an away trip to newly promoted side Ipswich Town on Saturday.
I’m not really sure the manager was able to convince Subimendi about his project. Klopp has the charisma to do so.
I strongly agree with Gary.
Ask a Liverpool fan where Manchester Inited will end up. Answer: bottom half of the table where they belong. Enough said.