How does the current Liverpool lineup compare to the greatest teams of all time?
Under the expert guidance of Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool are experiencing a real renaissance of late. The last few seasons had seen steady progress but it is the season just finished that really caught everyone’s attention. The team Klopp has put together looked the real deal and this saw them not only clinch another Champion’s League trophy but also to push Manchester City to the wire in the Premier League.
It was only City’s own brilliance that stopped Liverpool taking the league trophy, too – in any other season a record of 30 wins, 1 loss and 97 points would have easily been enough. With this in mind, many fans may already be thinking of using sportsbooks at some online casinos to put a wager on for them to actually do it next time around.
But how does this Liverpool side stack up against the very best from the past?
Liverpool’s 1980’s team
Whilst this current side has a long way to go to match the Liverpool we saw in the 80’s, the quality levels are similar in the playing squads. It can be difficult to judge a modern three-man front line with a traditional strike partnership, but I would go as far as to say the trio of Mane, Firmino & Salah is stronger than any pairing the club had through the heady heights of yesteryear. One area in which the current squad lags behind though is the lack of a midfield general a la Souness, there are some good players in the centre of the park but none quite in the leader’s mould of the aforementioned Scotsman or more recently Steven Gerrard.
1990’s Manchester Utd team
In many ways these two sides are very evenly matched. Defence was one area you may have questioned in the past but the addition of Van Dijk and Alisson has resolved this for Liverpool. Midfield is also evenly matched when you see Jordan Henderson providing the leadership that players like Keane were famous for in the 1990’s Manchester United side. Perhaps the one area where Liverpool shade it is up front with Salah, Firmino and Mane pipping Cole and Yorke.
Jose Mourinho Chelsea side 2005/06
This is again a very even contest but one that Liverpool just about shade. Certainly Salah and Firmino are both preferred to Robben or Cole in attack while the sheer pace and finishing of Mane puts him on Drogba’s level. It is perhaps the options Liverpool have in midfield that gets them the nod. With the leadership qualities of Henderson along with the creativity of Shaqiri and Wijnaldum, they are a little more mobile and able to open teams up.
AC Milan team of the 1980’s
The superb AC Milan team of the 1980’s under Arrigo Sacchi were a team of tough warriors who never gave an inch in any game they played. However, the current Liverpool team would no doubt be fitter and quicker as the game has moved on a lot over the years. It would be the wide areas were the Merseyside team could dominate with Roberson and Alexander-Arnold raiding down the flanks. Van Dijk could certainly compare to a great like Baresi in terms of talent while the midfield battle between old pro’s like Milner and Rijkaard would have been superb to watch. Tough to call but Liverpool still have enough fresh, pacey talent to edge it. They just need to keep Gullit and Van Basten quiet!
Current side deserves its place
When you compare the players Liverpool now have and how they have gelled as a team, they certainly do deserve to stand tall against the great sides from football’s past. The way they blew most teams away last year and their Champion’s League triumph is proof of this. Hopefully, manager Klopp can build on this and establish a dynasty that will keep Liverpool at the top of the game for many years to come.
