???️ Festive Fixture Rush: Where Will Liverpool Be At The End of 2017?

It’s 10 games until Liverpool play host to Leicester City on the 30^th of December, it’s a run of crucial games, including 10 games in 35 days for Jurgen Klopp’s side, who in September remarked that the Reds Christmas schedule might be the ???worst you can get’. The final Champions’ League group game at home to Spartak Moscow, the small matter of a Merseyside derby, and games against Chelsea and Arsenal await, it’s a big ask from our boys, they go into it on the back of some commanding victories, but several times already this season we’ve seen some performances we’d rather forget. The Reds could come out of the festive fixture rush in a fantastic position, top of their group in Europe and sitting pretty in the league, or they could set themselves up for early disappointment. For once it’s good news going into December, as Jurgen Klopp might see for the first time a more or less fully fit Liverpool squad at this time of year, bar of course the cruelly unfortunate Nathaniel Clyne. At Southampton, we saw the South Ameri-african boys (we’ll work on that) line up together alongside each other, as Coutinho, Mane, Salah and Bobby Firmino featured in the starting line-up, much to the rue of Southampton as Liverpool sailed to a 3-0 home victory. So, let’s break down the fixtures: Chelsea (H) Saturday 25^th It’s a tough first game, but at home Liverpool will be expected to continue their fantastic form against the top 6 under Jurgen Kopp. Stoke (A) Wednesday 29^th The question literally no one has been asking will be answered, can Mo Salah do it on a wet and windy Wednesday night in Stoke? Brighton (A) Saturday 2^nd A visit to the south coast where only 3 points will be expected from Liverpool. Spartak Moscow (H) Wednesday 6^th The final and deciding group game in the Champions League for the Reds, it’s a massive European night at Anfield once more. Everton (H) Sunday 10^th Just four days later Liverpool host Everton in the Merseyside derby, in which Jurgen Klopp has a fantastic record, winning all 3 of his games 8-1 on aggregate. West Bromwich (H) Wednesday 13^th Then only 3 days later, to Anfield once more, Liverpool will welcome West Brom. Bournemouth (A) Sunday 17^th To the south coast again, Liverpool will want nothing more that a confident and comfortable win here, putting to bed their demons from last year’s meeting. Arsenal (A) Friday 22^nd A 5-day gap for Jurgen Klopp to work with this time, before a trip down to London to face a hit and miss Arsenal side. Swansea (H) Sunday 26^th Swansea City come to town, this is Liverpool’s Boxing Day fixture. Leicester City (H) 30^th Finally, the game at home to Leicester will be the Reds last of the year, as they look to close out 2017 in style. It’s coming up to the time of year when fans might get nervous again. January last year seemed to decide Liverpool’s season to a degree. One and only one win, a cup replay against Plymouth which was decided by the scarcely seen Lucas Leiva goal, in the whole of January. It was a torrid month that seemed to stretch on and on for the Reds. December wasn’t much better, it included the 3-4 collapse to Bournemouth and the 2-2 slump at West Ham. History tells us, we need good form at Christmas time, if we want to be up there at the end of the season. A capitulation like last years just won’t do for the Reds ambitions, in the league, or in Europe, as progression from the Champions League group still hangs in the balance. A good festive run and the potential of a little dip in the market in January could set Liverpool up for a historic season, but let’s not get too excited, as Klopp pointed out post-Bournemouth last year ???you are not champions in December’, and past form shows us that even the team holding onto the top spot on Christmas day don’t go on to win the title half the time.  So where will Liverpool be at the end of the year? If a fully fit squad can be maintained, there is no excuse not to use the fixture rush as an opportunity to put a claim on a top four spot, and to progress to the next round of the Champions League, let us know where you think Liverpool will be come the New Year!   Article by Jamie Keogh