Liverpool: What to do to challenge for the title next season

The moment Mohamed Salah had to come off against Real, one could feel the game slipping away from Liverpool.

It is hard to replace someone who has been playing as well as Salah has been this season. However, as with any player, he will have off-days. There will be games where opponents figure him out. He may miss time due to injuries, something that did not really factor in over the course of the Premier League season. Teams that stopped Salah, one way or another, stopped Liverpool.

Klopp needs to figure out a backup plan, one that does not rely so heavily on his best player. Without Salah, against Real, Liverpool resorted to aimless balls over the top. The Egyptian’s absence meant that there was no one there to run onto them. Whenever Liverpool are forced to play through their midfield, or other clubs sit deep and cede possession, Klopp’s side struggle.

Next season, more teams will be ready for the way Liverpool play. They will be looking for every opportunity to drown out Klopp’s heavy-metal football. The German will have to be ready. The same old tricks may not be as effective as they were this season.