Liverpool 2023/24 season review: A flawed farewell | OneFootball

Jürgen Klopp bowed out with a whimper as Liverpool brace themselves for a summer of change under his replacement.

Competition breakdown

Premier League – Third

Klopp’s ‘Liverpool 2.0’ looked set to take their latest title bid down to the wire with defeats in only two of their opening 31 top-flight fixtures.

But those best-laid plans began to unravel after an FA Cup exit to Manchester United set the wheels in motion for a remarkable capitulation.

Dropped points at Old Trafford alongside losses to Crystal Palace and local rivals Everton saw the Anfield club tail off during the home straight.

Europa League – Quarter-finals

Playing in Europe’s secondary club competition did not seem to faze Klopp’s charges who, despite missteps against Toulouse and Union Saint-Gilloise, topped their group.

Things continue to go from strength to strength in the latter stages with an 11-2 aggregate win over Sparta Prague before it all came crashing down in the quarter-finals.

Atalanta stunned Anfield with a three-goal dismantling in the first leg before a profligate Reds fell short in the return fixture by only denting the aggregate by a solitary goal.

FA Cup – Sixth round

After swatting aside Arsenal, Norwich City and Southampton, only Manchester United stood between Liverpool and a Wembley return.

But they were on the wrong side of a seven-goal thriller at Old Trafford which arguably set the wheels in motion for their season’s demise.

EFL Cup – Winners

The first trophy of the season headed to Anfield via wins over Leicester City, Bournemouth, West Ham and Fulham before a rematch with Chelsea.

Virgil van Dijk’s extra-time goal settled another cagey showpiece encounter against the Londoners which looked set for a third penalty shootout.

Player of the season: Alexis Mac Allister

Last summer, Mac Allister arrived on Merseyside believing that former Brighton teammate Moisés Caicedo would be performing the No.6 duties alongside him.

Once it became clear that Chelsea had beaten Liverpool to the punch, both for Caicedo and Roméo Lavia, the World Cup winner had to become a jack of all trades.

He grew into the deep-lying role while continuing to showcase his abundance of creative qualities from exquisite passes to equally sublime long-range strikes.

Game of the season: Liverpool 4-1 Chelsea

A midweek dress rehearsal for the EFL Cup final confirmed the gulf in standard between the two clubs as Klopp racked up a 200th Premier League win.

Conor Bradley seized the moment by opening his account and providing two assists, taking his goal involvements to six in his previous four outings.

The hosts also won the midfield battle with Mac Allister besting his former Seagulls’ sparring partner Caicedo in the engine room, stat for stat.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side clearly took valuable lessons from the bruising occasion as the Wembley showpiece was far more of a close-run affair.

Top goalscorer: Mohamed Salah (25)

Nothing illustrated Salah’s continued feats greater than his status as Liverpool’s leading scorer this season remaining untouched during a six-week absence.

At times the Egyptian was guilty of petulance, notably in an opening-day stalemate with Chelsea before clashing with Klopp during a touchline row at West Ham.

Still, no one came close to denting his 25 goals in all competitions, remarkably his lowest return in a red shirt since the title-winning season of 2019/20.

Rising star: Conor Bradley

Klopp’s final campaign in charge saw an explosion of talent moving from the academy ranks into the senior setup but few were more impressive than Bradley.

Like fellow right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, the Northern Ireland international was an attacking tour de force before injury against Crystal Palace disrupting his season.

With the vice-captain looking to gravitate towards a long-term midfield role, Bradley has proven himself a ready-made replacement to step into the defensive void.

What comes next?

Klopp rides off into the sunset ahead of a summer where impending replacement Arne Slot will have his work cut out.

Not only will the Dutchman face the task of maintaining his predecessor’s on-field trajectory but also difficult decisions on the long-term futures of several senior players.