Will the arrival of Ronald Koeman at Goodison result in an upturn of the club’s fortunes?
With a new season of Premier League football only days away and changes afoot at Merseyside’s big two, Getintothis’ Mark Finnegan looks at what the season may hold for Liverpool and Everton.
Getintothis would like to introduce you to a brand new feature – The Merseyside Football Monthly – a column focusing on both Liverpool FC and Everton FC, with a musical twist. If there are two popular things that represent the good people of our great City, music and football would certainly be high up on that list, so we’ve decided to factor in our love for footy on a monthly basis, with a little help from a few contributors.
After three months without Premier League football, we know you’ll be thirsty for action, and hopefully you’ve filled your time watching the European Championships in France, the Tennis at Wimbledon and the Olympics in Rio, but we also hope you’ve been taking in much of the live music and exciting events on offer across Liverpool and the North West during the past few months too. Sound City and LIMF were two personal highlights over the summer, and each year the City goes from strength to strength in terms of musical activities and talent – there is simply never a dull moment, even when Liverpool and Everton aren’t playing.
With just two days to go until the Premier League kicks off for the 2016-17 season – music to the ears of many, the stuff of nightmares for others – the excitement is building on Merseyside among both sets of supporters as we prepare for another all-action nine months in the English top flight.
For both Reds and Blues there is a new-dawn element to the season ahead; at Goodison Park Ronald Koeman leads the Toffees into his first season at the helm following the sacking of Roberto Martinez, while over at Anfield Jurgen Klopp gets his first taste of a full season in charge of Liverpool. The Dutchman and German both have respective challenges in driving their teams up the table after under performing last time out, with Liverpool finishing 8th and Everton ending the season in 11th for the second successive season.
It’s fair to say that expectations of both sets of supporters have been raised and there is an air of optimism surrounding both Clubs.
The season ahead will also see a host of new managerial stars putting their wits against each other. José Mourinho and Pep Guardiola go head to head in Manchester, Antonio Conte attempts to revive Chelsea after last season’s failings, Frenchman Claude Puel is a new arrival to the League with Southampton, meanwhile Aitor Karanka is in charge of one of the three promoted sides on the scene. David Moyes returns to the English game with Sunderland after Sam Allardyce was appointed England Manager, and the popular Slaven Bilic and Claudio Ranieri add to the lively blend of managerial enthusiasm and experience that the League has to offer.
Not to be outdone, Everton and Liverpool have two key characters and footballing names in Koeman and Klopp and the battle to be the best on Merseyside will be an interesting watch. Both are popular figures among neutral supporters and the media alike, and their personalities will make for a well fought season ahead in charge of two of the biggest clubs in the League.
Starting with Klopp‘s Liverpool, who spent time in America on their pre-season tour this summer, the outlook for the season ahead without any European football distractions looks positive. If their recent pre-season win against Barcelona is anything to go by then the signs are looking good at Anfield – Klopp‘s side looked fit, well-organised, hungry for goals and ready. Following their Europa League ventures last season and ultimately disappointing defeat in two cup finals, the Reds will have their eyes fixed on of those elusive Champions League places – that’s where everyone wants to be after all.
What will Jurgen Klopp’s first full season in charge bring for Liverpool? (image from Liverpool FC Facebook page)
Whether or not Liverpool have the quality to do so remains to be seen but one thing Klopp has been credited with since arriving on Merseyside is getting his players playing, and making them into a hard-working side full of energy. Klopp will be hoping for more of the same this season and will fancy the challenge ahead with a group of players who could surprise many this season. The former Dortmund boss’ side begin the new campaign with three successive away games – because of the Main Stand works – the Reds travel to Arsenal, Burnley and Spurs before the Leicester game at Anfield in September.
Liverpool‘s transfer activity may not be as full of star names as some may like, but the additions of Wijnaldum and Mané are smart, albeit expensive, signings which will add to Klopp‘s options. The aforementioned duo are proven Premier League players which means they don’t come cheap, and their energetic and creative style will no doubt fit into Klopp‘s mentality.
Elsewhere defenders Joel Matip and Ragnar Klavan come into a bare looking defence following the departures of Martin Skrtel and Kolo Touré, and the disciplinary problems which are threatening Mamadou Sakho‘s future at Anfield. In goal Klopp has signed Loris Karius from his former club Mainz, and has also brought in former Arsenal goalkeeper Alex Manninger to further bolster his goalkeeping options.
In midfield Marko Grujic finally joins up with his new Club after having been immediately loaned back to Red Star Belgrade when he was first signed by Liverpool. It is a mixed bag of incomings at Anfield, and with seemingly no imminent plans for a marquee signing, Klopp appears to be happy with the additions he has made and he will aim to work with what he has now for the season ahead. Of course, there remains time left before the window slams shut and the Reds boss might have one or two surprises left in store.
In terms of outgoing players, Liverpool have done well recouping a tidy sum of around £45 million for the departing Allen, Sinclair, Ibe, Rossiter, Skrtel, Smith and Canos – and Lucas Leiva could soon be added to that list if Galatasaray follow up their interest. Mario Balotelli and Lazar Markovic both return from respective loan spells away from Anfield, but only time will tell if they are part of Klopp‘s plans.
If the long list of departures tempts Klopp to further strengthen before the end of the month, the German will be boosted by the return of Danny Ings, who spent the majority of last season out with injury, and he will be excited by the attacking options he now has at his disposal with Ings competing with Sturridge, Origi, Benteke (if he stays) and Firmino who impressed last season, plus Mané coming in to strengthen that area too.
Sadio Mane signed from Southampton to increase Klopp’s plentiful attacking options (image from Liverpool FC Facebook page)
On the injury front Joe Gomez has been unlucky again – this time an achilles problem – but once he returns Liverpudlians will be keen to see how he, and other youngsters like Matip, Can, Grujic, Karius, Stewart, Ojo and Origi can fare in and around a youthful looking Liverpool side for the season ahead.
If there are promising signs on the pitch at Anfield then there are also huge developments off it, with Liverpool set to unveil the completion of the new Main Stand project in September. The Main Stand development will see Anfield’s capacity raised by nearly 10,000, as the new lounges, boxes, corporate hospitality and facilities are unveiled fully at Liverpool’s first home game against Leicester City on September 10.
The project will bring thousands of new jobs and, of course, thousands more supporters as Liverpool’s owners Fenway complete their first planned phase of construction at Anfield, and you get the feeling this is just the start. With positive signs both on and off for Liverpool FC and Klopp now well settled at the helm, the Kopites will no doubt be optimistic going into a new era for the Club.
As for the Toffees across the Park, there are also positive signs on the pitch and off it but still some nervousness among supporters because of a lack of signings. Ronald Koeman was appointed in June and the Dutchman has a huge task of adding much-needed quality to a side that has largely under performed for two seasons, which ultimately resulted in the sacking of Martinez.
Everton’s new signing Idrissa Gueye in action – will there be more new arrivals this summer? (image from Everton FC Facebook page)
Although the Blues boss has brought in Maarten Stekelenburg in goal and Idrissa Gueye from Aston Villa, there has been a certain amount of restlessness among the Blue half of Merseyside, fearful that Everton would not be able to tie up any major deals before the start of the season.
In the past couple of days the mood has started to change as Everton ramp up their recruitment drive – Ashley Williams from Swansea has just signed and Yannick Bolasie from Crystal Palace is expected to follow imminently. The incoming transfers at Goodison Park have quickly followed John Stones‘ exit from the Club on Tuesday, as Manchester City confirmed a big-money move was complete for the defender.
Ashley Williams signs in to shore up Everton’s leaky defence (image from Everton FC Facebook page)
It became inevitable that Stones would leave Everton and, although it was unfortunate that the Blues could not keep hold of one of their biggest prospects, the focus is now firmly fixed on rebuilding and replacing, with Williams likely to add solidity to a defensive unit that was worryingly porous for much of the prior campaign.
Working alongside Steve Walsh who has been brought in from Leicester in a Director of Football role, Ronald Koeman and the Blues will be keen to be rid of the cobwebs formed during Martinez’ tenure.
The snapping up of Walsh marks a key change in the club’s management structure and can only be seen as a positive move by the Club as they experiment with a new set-up and vision. Walsh was praised for his work as Head of Recruitment at champions Leicester City but has made the decision to move to Merseyside to be a part of the new project at Goodison Park and Blues fans will be hoping he can unearth a few gems as Everton delve into the transfer market with new found financial backing.
Everton‘s pre-season has been a mixed bag of results and they spent time in Germany as part of their plans. Koeman has tried different formations, including experimenting with a back three, allowing a number of youngsters to prove themselves, and it appears that the former Saints boss isn’t afraid of taking a more direct approach or sticking two up front. Everton have looked well organised at the back, which was an area of concern from last season, and supporters will find it refreshing to see a different outlook for the side under Koeman.
Koeman‘s usage of two up front has been evident in Gerard Deulofeu‘s positioning and lively performances in pre-season and the Spaniard could be key for Everton this season, alongside the re-emerging Kevin Mirallas and ever-improving Ross Barkley. Also emerging is a crop of talented youngsters and a number of them look ready for first team action.
The most notable of the promising youth are Tom Davies, Kieran Dowell and Mason Holgate but there are others who will be in or around the first team this season too. The likes of Conor Grant has had some pre-season minutes, as has Shani Tarashaj who was signed in January but immediately loaned back to Grasshoppers, and others like Brendan Galloway and Tyias Browning will also be in the reckoning for places as Koeman finds himself with a number of young assets at his disposal.
The main threat that Everton face in the coming weeks is that Romelu Lukaku will follow John Stones out of the Goodison Park exit door, as rumours of a return to Chelsea persist. However, with Chelsea yet to make a formal bid a deal is far from agreed and there has been talk of a potential new deal for Lukaku to tempt him to stay.
Romeu Lukaku in action during Wayne Rooney’s testimonial – keeping hold of the Belgian will be key to the Blues’ hopes (image from Everton FC Facebook page)
Only time will tell whether Koeman can hang on to both of those players but it is evident that even if he does, the Toffees still need additional bodies. Players have departed, many old faces like Leon Osman, Steven Pienaar and Tony Hibbert, and there’s a few still at Everton still likely to be shipped out before the end of August too – with Arouna Kone, Aidan McGeady and Oumar Niasse the most fearful for their futures.
Numerous players have been linked with moves to Everton, including the likes of Wilfried Bony, Juan Mata and Axel Witsel and dozens more, but things could go to the wire as the speculation and proverbial game of transfer chess hots up in the coming weeks. The quest for additional numbers in the midfield area is even more vital now with Mo Besic having been ruled out for six months through injury, as the Bosnian is again hit with bad luck that will result in him missing a large chunk of the season.
Before deadline day, Everton face Spurs at Goodison in a mouthwatering opener, before travelling to West Brom and hosting Stoke in the fortnight that will follow – Evertonians will be keen to see how Koeman sets his side up and what style he employs, but after such a disappointing period for the Club the focus will be on this crop of players bouncing back, proving their worth and showing their true qualities. With a few new faces through the door Everton should be aiming to get back into the European places and begin to look upwards towards the top half of the table again.
Off the field and there is optimism after Farhad Moshiri‘s arrival earlier this year and the majority shareholder is already putting his plans into place at Goodison Park. There appears to be more of a ruthless nature to Everton’s business these days and that was evident with the appointments of Koeman and Walsh. Moshiri is overseeing plans for a new stadium alongside Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson and positive talks have taken place.
Evertonians are hoping for a dockland project and if Moshiri can deliver a new stadium on the City’s waterfront then this would be a huge coup for the Club. In the meantime down at Goodison Park, redevelopment works are ongoing to give the ground a make-over and two of the stands have been renamed after two Everton icons – Howard Kendall and Sir Philip Carter, which is a fitting tribute after their sad passing in recent times.
Overall, and similar to Liverpool, it is the beginning of a new chapter at Everton with a new manager, new set up and new plans for the Club, as well as some talented youngsters. If Evertonians get their wish of a few new players then there is every reason for Blues to contemplate a successful season.
Both Liverpool and Everton will be excited about the prospects of a fresh Premier League campaign ahead but there is no denying that both sides need to add further quality and depth to their ranks. It is nice to see youngsters being given a chance at both Clubs, which isn’t too common in football these days, and the set up of both Liverpool and Everton currently should make for a competitive battle this season – that old Merseyside rivalry will again come to the surface as local bragging rights and the quest for success increases.
We’re looking forward to the real football returning and we know you will be too, so we’ll be back next month to discuss the current matters at both Clubs, plus some added extras.
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