Liverpool are actually one step early kwenye their new adjustment/rebuilding plan.
Last 2 years, tumeshuhudia 6 starters ambao walitupa mafanikio makubwa sana, kuanzia 2015, wakiondoka kwenye club (Gini, Mane, Firmino, Fabinho, Henderson, Milner), then valuable squad players ambao wali-play big part pia kwenye mafanikio ya Club, pia wakiondoka (Origi, Ox, Shaqiri, Minamino etc), so kuondoka kwa stars hawa, kukawa ndiyo mwisho wa era ya kwanza ya Klopp at the club, we had to REBUILD, na kwa mantiki hiyo, club ikajikuta na new MF na new Attacking line, ile MF ya zamani yote haipo (Fabinho, Gini, Hendo, Milner, Ox, Gini), so kwa upande wa MF, tumeanza na Macca, Dom, Endo & Gravenberch, ambao wamekuja ku-replace hiyo bach ya kwanza, na kupandisha kina Jones, Elliott & Bajcetic kama squad regulars, so ukiachana na Endo (new recruit), our senior/old MF ni Thiago.
Then kwenye upande wa attacking, Nunez, Diaz, Gakpo walikuja ku-replace output za Mane, Firmino & Origi.
So, its almost like we have a new Midfield & a new attack.
Team bado inatafuta its feet, bado new faces zinaendelea ku-settle, bado ni process.
TATIZO, linakuja kwamba, rebuidling phase ime-take a new shape, kwasababu team as a whole, ina-punch above its weight, msimu huu ndiyo haswa ulikuwa unatakiwa kuwa transition season, msimu wa kuruhusu new MF ku-blend in, new attackers ku-blend in zaidi, but tumejikuta in the middle of Title challenge, ndiyo maana expectations za wengi zimebadilika, but bado hii team haijakaa sawa, na bado hata hawa wachezaji wapya (especially kwenye MF), bado hata hawaja-peak.
Macca is 24
Dom is 22
Gravenberch is 21
Bajcetic is 19
Jones is 22
Elliott is 20
Thiago is 32
Endo is 31.
You can see how young our MF is, na bado hata rebuild ya MF haijakamilika, because hatupata a commanding 6 tunayemuhitaji, we tried kwa Caicedo and failed, so kuwa hapa tulipo, na upya wa MF pamoja na age profile, ni big BONUS, ukiachana na Thiago and Endo, hakuna MF yeyote ambaye ame-peak tayari.
Naweza nikasema ni same kwenye upande wa attack, Nunez & Gakpo are still raw, na ukiwa raw, suala la kutokuwa na muendelezo mzuri wa games ni kawaida, it happened kwa Mane mara nyingi.
LFC 1.0, na yenyewe ilikuwa na tatizo la kutokuwa na muendelezo mzuri wa games, tulianza kuwa na muendelezao mzuri wa games, baada ya our important players ku-mature na kuingia kwenye their peak, you see, both Mane, Salah, Firmino, Fabinho, Gini, Robertson, Trent, Gomez, Alisson etc PEAKED at LFC, na kwa maana hiyo tulifanikiwa kutengeneza a strong spine (Alisson-VVD-Fabinho-Firmino), ni process ambayo ilichukua muda mrefu sana ku-mature na kuwa in formidable shape kwa kiasi kikubwa sana.
NOW, bado hatuna spine (Alisson-VVD-Macca-Nunez), siyo strong spine, na ina-lack vitu vingi sana, lakini pamoja na hayo, bado tunafanya vizuri, our defensive record ni good, but bado tuna-struggle sana kwenye upande wa attack, which kwangu naona ni normal, kulingana na tunavyo-set up our team, na pia down to coaching, na mwisho ni aina ya profiles tulizonazo upfront, kabla ya kuzi-belittle, ni kusubiria kuona kama zita-work, ikishindikana, we move one.
Macca, Dom, Gravenberch, Endo, wana miezi kadhaa tu at LFC, na sisi kuwa na 39 points kwenye PL, round of 16 kwenye EL, na nusu fainali kwenye League Cup, wana mchango wao mkubwa sana, run ya Gravenberch ja Endo kwenye EL na League Cup ni nzur tu, BUT tuwape muda, tunajisahau kuwa wanahitaji muda kwasababu wana-punch above their projections, maana team inafanya vizuri.
Losing against Utd, ni very uncceptable, kulingana na hali yao now, but good teams kama Arsenal, Man City, Spurs, Villa, Newcastle etc, lazima zitatupa ugumu kidogo, kutokana na gaps/holes ambazo bado tunazo kwenye our team, kuna certain profiles bado hatuna, na tunaendelea kuzitafuta, its just is, hata club yenyewe (Klopp and Co) hawakutegemea kama hii project mpya ita-take off this fast.
Personally (MY VIEW, nisije onekana kama nataka kila mtu akubaliane na mimi au kuwa "monopoly"), naamini katika kuzipa hizi new faces TIME, ni vijana ambao bado hata hawaja-peak, so naelewa wanatafanya a lot of mistake along the way, hawatukuwa na consistency etc, so nitawapa muda, na nitaipa muda wa kutosha hii second phase, but hii haimaanishi kuwa nitakuwa nalidhika na maamuzi mabaya ya kimbinu ya Klopp, au ku-draw/kupoteza games na teams ambazo tuna uwezo wa kuzifunga (Luton/Utd etc).
AGAIN, Its LFC, so unaruhusiwa kuwa na expectations, and i believe tunaweza/kuwa na chance ya kushinda this league kama tukinunua a perfect DM in january & LCB.
Lakini, minimum, na-expect us kushinda EL and the league cup, na hata kama tuki-fail short kwenye league, a top 4 finish will be nice, but the way the league is shaping up, i believe tunaweza ku-challenge mpaka mwisho kama tukifanya right moves in January (i guess, hii inaonesha ni kiasi gani project ilivyokuwa mbele ya muda).