Pre Season Predictions: Where will Liverpool finish in 2016-17?

Injury and suspension free I think 4th is definately on but think thats best we can hope for . Ideally spurs and Arse go through to KO stages champions league will play into our hands think Chelsea big threat

I said 6th and to be honest I'm not sitting here thinking I've got it miles wrong. Finishing above any of Manchester Utd, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham or Arsenal is going to be tricky. Even the likes of Leicester have bought well, while teams like West Ham, Everton and Stoke won't be going into games against us thinking they are just making up the numbers.

Under normal circumstances i.e. a pre-Klopp scenario, I would have been more inclined to agree with this, but I think the manager and the absence of European commitments must surely put us in with a strong chance of making the top 4.

Not only that but given the stature of the club I think we should adopt an attitude in our expectations for the season that is realistic but which also challenges us to do more than just par for the course. We're just not that kind of club. Gotta be on the right side of the line, as it were, and that for me would be 4th, pipping Spurs.

From the little I've witnessed so far this season, taking into consideration the goals scored, the periods of dominance, team selections and formations, and also goals conceded. My heart says 4th but my head says 7th.
But this is now, and my perceptions may, and likely will, for good or bad, change, following the outcome of future fixtures on a regular analysis of about three results at a time!
WOW ! That felt heavy !

Thing is, we are a couple of injuries away from being f'd, lightweight squad yet again, being realistic here. Lets see how it goes, don't really want to bi*ch about it.

The only signing who I think still has to prove himself is Wijnaldum, but if he can strike up a good partnership with Can then we look solid on paper.  Top 4 at minimum is a lock

First off, Karius hasn't proven anything as he's not played hardly at all. Grujic while he's a favorite pet cat of mine, hasn't got to show much aside from some pre-season appearances, and how is Wijnaldum going to strike up a partnership with Can when Can never plays?

First off, Karius hasn't proven anything as he's not played hardly at all. Grujic while he's a favorite pet cat of mine, hasn't got to show much aside from some pre-season appearances, and how is Wijnaldum going to strike up a partnership with Can when Can never plays?

Karius has the relatively simple job of being better than Migs.  He is a player Jürgen and his staff will know well from their time in the Bundesliga, so I have confidence that he will immediately be our #1 when fit. 

I'm not considering Grujic in my assessment.  I still see him as one for the future, so any immediate impact we get from him is a bonus. 

Can hasn't featured much because he got back later than most of the others.  I still think he is Jürgen's pick for the holding role, and will likely be played next to Wijnaldum if/when we play a 2 man midfield, with Lallana joining in a 3 man midfield.  I stand by my statement -- if Can and Wijnaldum can forget a strong partnership at CM then we look very solid on paper. 

I could be wrong -- I was wrong about Moreno and that wasn't the first and won't be the last time -- but this is how I see it. 

Seems like Can has a hard time staying fit. If he does you might be right but so far, he can't really put a string of appearances together.

Thing is, we are a couple of injuries away from being f'd, lightweight squad yet again, being realistic here. Lets see how it goes, don't really want to bi*ch about it.

And what happens if Manure lose Pogba and Ibra etc? All teams are vulnerable to injuries but I feel we have more depth now than last season in defence and attack.

And what happens if Manure lose Pogba and Ibra etc? All teams are vulnerable to injuries but I feel we have more depth now than last season in defence and attack.

True enough, There is quite a selection of players. The tactics seem a bit too reckless to me.

Couldn't agree more with this. Well said.

It's ironic you of all people agree with this.

My opinion hasn't changed, 70 points is my minimum target rather than league position. 

It'll still be an up and down season, with amazing victories and disappointing losses but with the progress shown from the turn of the year and the addition of more appropriate players than we had, 10 more points is more than doable.

My opinion hasn't changed, 70 points is my minimum target rather than league position. 

It'll still be an up and down season, with amazing victories and disappointing losses but with the progress shown from the turn of the year and the addition of more appropriate players than we had, 10 more points is more than doable.

I'd go with that Debs as a realistic expectation.

(If just playing our new goalie !)

I'd go with that Debs as a realistic expectation.

(If just playing our new goalie !)

Precisely Skip.

10 more points is more than doable.

It is indeed 'doable' Debs and at 1.84 PPG, it is surely well within the capabilities of a world class manager. Not overly ambitious maybe but we are more likely to exceed expectations that way, I suppose, so I do understand the logic. 

My opinion hasn't changed, 70 points is my minimum target rather than league position.

If we got 70 points then that would certainly be a clear sign of improvement.

Taking out the impressive 13/14 season our 6 last point finishes have been

60,62,61,52,58,63 = a really poor average of 59.3.

Even including the sizeable 84 points from 13/14 our average in the last 7 years has been a fairly dismal 62.8 points.

Taking out the impressive 13/14 season our 6 last point finishes have been

60,62,61,52,58,63 = a really poor average of 59.3.

Jaysus but that makes for grim reading JD.

Jaysus but that makes for grim reading JD.

and FSG get a good support on here talk about dumbing down if we get 70 points its going to be quite a leap.
We do need to add in the League Cup into the mix of their achievements.
I just don't have a clue how we can predict this season having just witnessed the best and the worst in the first three games and just 4 points from it with a negative goal difference. We are already under massive pressure to win against the League Champions in our first home game.

Jaysus but that makes for grim reading JD.

It does. We'll have made solid progress if we could hit 70 points. Normally that would be enough to get 4th spot. I don't think that's beyond us, even though, IMO, we've given ourselves a lot of work to do by failing to sufficiently strengthen key areas of the team this summer.

It is also frustrating to see us thinking in terms of a "step-by-step" approach after lots of similar approaches in the past, especially when a) you've had a sh*t tonne of money come in from the TV deal and b) you have a world class manager.

Whoever bears the responsibility and in whichever proportions, it is simply not good enough for a club of our stature to be perennially talking about the top four as the one main hope we have going into a new season.

It is indeed 'doable' Debs and at 1.84 PPG, it is surely well within the capabilities of a world class manager. Not overly ambitious maybe but we are more likely to exceed expectations that way, I suppose, so I do understand the logic. 

It may not seem overly ambitious and it isn't, it was aimed at those saying we've no chance of achieving CL qualification.  The 70 point mark being more or less a guarantee of achieving that if you go off the last 20 odd years.

I still expect a Title challenge but then I'm generally more positive than most on here.

If we got 70 points then that would certainly be a clear sign of improvement.

Taking out the impressive 13/14 season our 6 last point finishes have been

60,62,61,52,58,63 = a really poor average of 59.3.

Even including the sizeable 84 points from 13/14 our average in the last 7 years has been a fairly dismal 62.8 points.

Yet that season came as a surprise to everyone considering where we'd been for the previous 3 seasons.

I just don't see the point stressing over individual results as there's still going to be lots of ups and downs, I'll be going off the tried and tested groups of 5 games and an average points total of 9-10.

If we could keep Sturridge fit somehow for a season he would bag 20 goals easily and with the likes of Firmino, Mane and Coutinho chipping in with 10+ goals we could break that 70 point barrier.

Lets be honest Sturridge is too unreliable so the question then comes can Firmino and Origi increase their output or can we increase our output from midfield.
And it's this scenario I see as our best shot at gaining Top 4, hopefully we start to see more goals coming from midfield from the likes of Lallana, Gini and Hendo.

I just don't see the point stressing over individual results as there's still going to be lots of ups and downs, I'll be going off the tried and tested groups of 5 games and an average points total of 9-10.

The "groups of 5 games" Debs; I take it they start a new every 5 games?

And... if so: do you "stress" at the end of every group where we fail to get 9 - 10 points or does that 'tally' just roll over to say a group of 10 and failing that 15?

I stress because I see flaws that remain from last season and cost us 3 goals at Arsenal and 1 at Spurs.

I stress because I see flaws that remain from last season and cost us 3 goals at Arsenal and 1 at Spurs.

Yep me too mate.

I think we will get stronger defensively as the season progresses, but I hoped that we could have had that improvement during pre-season.