Liverpool Football Club have a very busy week coming up. Honestly, it couldn't come at a worse time. Saturday's humiliation against Brighton is still very fresh in all our minds. Liverpool's 2022/23 season has been beyond disappointing up to this point. We were hopeful that 2023 would bring change but, so far it has been the same sorry Reds that left 2022.
This week, Liverpool need to get something going. They have 2 games starting with Tuesday's FA Cup replay against Wolves at Molineaux Stadium in Wolverhampton. Then they have a huge match with fellow Premier League giants who are struggling this year, Chelsea on Saturday at Anfield. Here are the 3 points for the week of 16 January 2023.
1. Get Off the Mat
The Reds have been knocked on their ass over and over again this year. They've tried to pick themselves up off the mat but, they've seemed woozy every time they've gotten up. Let's face it, the ref is about to call the fight, and the Reds are running out of chances.
This is the week that could make or break Liverpool for 2022/23. They need to get up one more time, shake out the cobwebs, and make something out of this season. The FA Cup is a perfect place to start.
There are signs that the injury list could be getting shorter, with Darwin Núñez and James Milner reportedly being available for one or both of the matches this week. Injuries are never an excuse but, don't forget this team has been ravaged by them all season.
Part of this team getting back into proper fighting shape is getting healthy. Another part is Jürgen Klopp recognizing the faults in his team and making the necessary adjustments. Addressing those 2 parts should help pull the Reds out of this slump.
2. Beat Wolves
Look, Liverpool shouldn't even be playing this game. They should have taken care of business against Wolves back on January 7th. The fact of the matter is they have another chance to move on in the FA Cup.
We said earlier that the Reds have used the Champions League to try to get momentum going this year. The FA Cup should have the same effect. With the Premier League title nothing more than a fantasy at this point, making a concerted effort in other competitions is the way forward.
Beating Wolves and moving on in FA Cup on Tuesday is the first step back for Liverpool. I think that it's a good thing that this match happens so quickly after Saturday's disaster at Brighton. Putting the worst performance of the season, and maybe the entire Klopp era, behind them needs to happen sooner rather than later.
The Match Report against the Wolves.
3. Dig in Against Chelsea
Of course, beating Chelsea would be amazing. While I think on their best day the Reds would easily beat this Blues team, the Reds haven't seen their best days in a while. They need to dig in and grind against Chelsea. Get at least a point and stop the bleeding.
That means stabilising the backline and making sure the midfield is able to help defend. That is easier said than done with this Liverpool team. That means Jürgen Klopp finally waking up and changing the way this team plays.
While we all love the attacking “heavy metal” football that has defined Klopp's Liverpool, that style of football doesn't work for the current Liverpool team. They simply don't have the personnel to play that kind of football right now.
This week would be a great time to hunker down and start playing stout defence. The team would be better served right now playing a more defensive style, at least until they start getting players back that can truly attack.