The Reds continued their strong start to the season with a comfortable victory on Sunday, but one topic will not go away
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Liverpool had only played four competitive fixtures since they last hosted Aston Villa, but much had changed at Anfield in the 106 days since.
That final home game of last season saw emotional goodbyes for Roberto Firmino and James Milner, plus farewells for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita. But few there on that sunny day in May would have expected that Fabinho and Jordan Henderson would also be following them out the exit door in the summer.
“Liverpool rebooted” is how Jurgen Klopp described it ahead of the new season, but the team sheet for his first game following the closure of the transfer window lacked a specialist defensive midfielder.
That, along with not adding a centre-back, is a big concern for Liverpool supporters now. Will the lack of a ‘DM’ and left-sided centre-back ultimately come back to haunt Klopp?
On the evidence against Villa, it's a no.
Joe Gomez, deputising for the suspended Virgil van Dijk, was particularly impressive, while Liverpool’s newly energised midfield underlined exactly what was missing last season.
Indeed, Klopp had pointed at the midfield's problematic and often lethargic pressing as being the issue when his defence came under question last season, so having Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai's youth, energy and pressing ability provides proof that he was correct there.
"It's very helpful when you have strong centre-halves," said Klopp after his side's 3-0 win. "But if you leave them alone then the pitch is too big to defend. Today we were really together, really compact, the commitment was top-class and that’s why we played the way we played."
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Curtis Jones surprisingly returned to the starting line-up, with the only defensive midfielder Liverpool did sign – Wataru Endo – dropped to the bench just days after Klopp admitted the Japan international had to adapt to a "massive change" in tactics playing for a team with a higher defensive line.
Mac Allister as the '6'
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With Endo dropped, it was Mac Allister who was again tasked to play the deepest role for the Reds.
The Argentine certainly wasn't signed to play the role, but there is a question now as to whether that's where he may play the majority of his football this season. He's not the combative, ball-winning defensive midfielder that Klopp would prefer, but he is pro-active, breaks up play, and for games like this can set the tempo very nicely.
Mac Allister, Endo and possibly new boy Ryan Gravenberch – who watched from the stands after his arrival on Friday was completed after the midday registration deadline – could rotate the role this season.
Liverpool, though, will face much tougher tasks than they did against a Villa side whose high defensive line really played into the Reds' hands.
Attack clicks – but Salah question remains for now
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"I liked the line-up today," Klopp smiled and praised Darwin Nunez after the Uruguayan earned his first start of the season following last week's two-goal cameo at Newcastle.
Nunez’s link-up with Mo Salah was particularly impressive, just as it was in pre-season and for the winning goal at Newcastle.
"The partnership was really good," offered Klopp of his "two sprinters" who got in behind time and again.
So Liverpool, at least for now, answered the two big questions post-window, but the big question that remains is Salah’s future.
Klopp was asked directly if the club's position had changed at all, and gave a simple "no" on that, with the boss surprised to find out that the Saudi Arabia transfer window closes on Thursday, not later in the month.
What about Salah, has he told the German he wants to go?
"No. He didn’t tell me, but he didn’t have to," Klopp insisted. "He speaks with his training and performances and behaviour. We had meetings this week and the meetings were not about what we did in the past, it was about what we will do in the future.
"Mo was with the players’ (leadership) committee and had his moments where he was talking and it was nothing like ‘By the way, this is only until next week’ or whatever."
Liverpool go into the international break with 10 points from four games at the start of the season, something they didn't achieve until seven games in last term.
The two questions over defensive midfield and centre-back will be gauged throughout the season, but for Klopp and Liverpool they'll hope the one about Salah can be put aside before the next Premier League game in a fortnight.
Matt Ladson is the co-founder and editor of This Is Anfield, the independent Liverpool news and comment website, and covers all areas of the Reds for FourFourTwo – including transfer analysis, interviews, title wins and European trophies. As well as writing about Liverpool for FourFourTwo he also contributes to other titles including Yahoo and Bleacher Report. He is a lifelong fan of the Reds.
