3 Points for the Week of April 17

Michael
18th April 2023

It has been an emotional rollercoaster the last few days for many of us who love Liverpool. First, there was a solemn weekend of Hillsborough remembrances. April 15th marked the 34th anniversary of the tragedy at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield that claimed 97 Liverpool supporters' lives.

Next, the Reds treated us to a rousing 6-1 thrashing of Leeds at Elland Road on Monday night. Jürgen Klopp said he believed that it was their best effort of the season and I'll agree that it is up there with the best of them. It was the Reds' first in the Premier League from Anfield in and it was certainly their best performance on the road all season.

I spoke last week in this column about the importance of using a long week off to get their ducks in a row and it seems like they did. Klopp said that the team had 4 excellent training sessions where the squad got a lot of work in. It showed last night. Let's see what the rest of this week holds for the Reds in our of the Week.

Point 1 - Keep the Momentum Going

Stu Forster/Getty Images

There isn't much to say negatively about Monday night's shellacking of Leeds United. We talked last week about seizing on the momentum of a great second half against Arsenal and Liverpool did just that. They started this game with a purpose and took it to a struggling Leeds team.

6 goals from 5 different Liverpool players was the perfect way to break a league winless streak that stretched back for nearly 6 weeks. You might remember the 7-0 shellacking of Manchester United, and yes that was 6 weeks ago already. May the great play and team health continue to gain momentum.

Liverpool look and feel like they are heading in the right direction. The schedule is very helpful in the coming matches, and if the Reds are looking to catapult themselves into the final European spots they'll have to keep the pressure on and the momentum going.

Point 2 - So, If We Can't Have a Ferrari…

Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Getty Images

The Boss made headlines last week with his comments regarding giving a kid a Ferrari after Liverpool announced that they weren't going to seek a transfer for Jude Bellingham. The English national team forward was long-rumoured to be coming to but his current club, Borussia Dortmund, are reportedly asking north of £130 million for him this summer.

If the Reds can't afford a Ferrari, what can they afford? The team should clarify who they will be seeking this coming off-season. Rumours are rampant about several players including Mason Mount, , Alexis MacAllister, and Khvichna Kvaratskhelia. 

Lately, it seems the most chatter has been about Gravenberch and MacAllister. I think both players would be excellent additions to the Reds, and they wouldn't cost nearly as much as Mount and Kvaratskhelia would. 

While there have been rampant rumours about Mount, Chelsea will be hesitant to sell him to Liverpool, especially at anything less than a premium price. Kvaratskhelia also has been linked to the Reds but Napoli are sure to want Ferrari-type money for the current star. 

While they don't need to make a decision this week about which players they will try to buy in the transfer window, they should come up with a real plan for who they are seeking if they aren't going after Bellingham. Liverpool need to decide if they aren't going to buy a Ferrari, should they maybe buy a couple of Porsches instead? 

Point 3 - Don't Get Lost in the Forest Again

Michael Regan/Getty Images

For me, one of the first real signs that the 2022/23 season was going to be a disappointing one was the first time the Reds played Nottingham Forest back in October. It was a positively shocking result against an old rival when Liverpool lost 1-0 at the City Ground.

At that time, Forest struggled to find their footing in their first Premier League season since 1999. That win against Liverpool was only their second in the League and they've only managed 4 more since then. This is yet another team that the Reds lost to this season that they shouldn't have. 

Saturday's match should play out like Monday's match against Leeds. Except for this time, Liverpool will have the advantage. As they've just shown, the best way for the Reds to exorcise demons from early in this season, is to take back points they dropped in the season in a game they should have never lost.

I'm not saying they need to win 6-1 against Nottingham Forest but, it would be nice. I talked earlier about the importance of momentum, the Reds need to stay focused and take another 3 points from yet another struggling team. 

Liverpool have a real chance of getting back into the European conversation again thanks to a friendly schedule. However, they have to get the job done, they've played down to bad teams all year. Right now, is the time to play up to their potential and make something out of this season.

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