Report Card: How the Liverpool newcomers have fared so far

Byshreyash_LFC, SportsCafe Editor

01/11/2017

Jurgen Klopp reconstructed his squad last summer as he added seven players to his squad. The new arrival meant that the reds sold twelve and loaned out a further twelve more as they the German manager got ready to shape the ew Liverpool team in his image.

Seven of the players signed during the summer transfer window included Sadio Mane and Georginio Wijnaldum who have heavily featured in the first half of the season, while others include the young midfielder Marko Grujic and the veteran goalkeeper Alex Manninger who are yet to make a Premier League start, we bring you the assessment of how the other five have fared as the league nears its midway point.

Sadio Mane

The Senegalese international was bought for a hefty £34m from Southampton in the summer window and the 24-year-old quickly became the topic of the debate among the Liverpool faithful as he arrived from St. Marys having a reputation of being an inconsistent performer.

However, the wide man hit the ground running at the start of his Anfield career. Arguably, the signing of the season for the Merseyside club, Mane has given a new and a much-needed dimension to the Liverpool front line with his lightning quick pace. Allied with his blistering pace, Mane possesses the skill to wreck havoc on the opposition defenses. The former Saints' forward has fitted into Jurgen Klopp’s system perfectly and has been one of the most influential players in the first half the season.

With an impressive nine goals and four assists, the Senegalese is Liverpool’s highest scorer. Although his end product is far from perfect, the wide man still looks a huge threat even while having an off day. The 24-year-old will be sorely missed by Liverpool as he is called up for international duty by Senegal for the African Cup of Nations.

Score: 8.5/10

Georginio Wijnaldum

Arriving from the relegated Newcastle side for £23m, the Dutch international quickly settled in Anfield. His arrival at Anfield raised a few questions but five months later, the no.5 has been the unsung hero of Liverpool’s success this season. One has to observe his game closely to notice how influential he is in midfield. Deployed alongside Adam Lallana and Jordan Henderson, the 26-year-old leads the pressing from midfield. and his quick passes and work rate have not gone unnoticed by pundits and more importantly by Klopp.

The only disappointment in his game has been the lack goals and assists in his game. With just two goals and two assists, the Dutchman will be looking to add more goals to his tally in the second half of the season.

Score: 8/10

Ragnar Klavan

The 31-year-old became the first Estonian to represent Liverpool in the Premier League when the Merseyside club picked him to play against Arsenal in the first league game of the season. Although he was known for his no-nonsense defending in Augsburg, the centre-back was always bought as a backup for Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip.

With an impressive passing accuracy of 89.1% and 1.7 aerial duels won per game, the 31-year-old has done a fine job whenever called upon. Matip’s injury in the last few games saw Klavan in the starting lineup for the reds yet again.

His performance against Middlesbrough and Everton, in particular, were impressive. The centre-back conceded a silly penalty against Sunderland last week, but that aside, he has been solid.

Score: 7/10

Loris Karius

Loris Karius has endured a difficult start to his life at Liverpool with a string of weak performances. The shot-stopper was bought from Mainz as a replacement for Mignolet for 4.7 million, but the German has struggled to adapt the Premier League.

The 23-year-old isn’t comfortable on the ball, looks nervous while dealing with crosses. His horror show against Bournemouth and West Ham saw Liverpool drop five crucial points, which might prove too costly come the end of the season. A series of poor performances forced Klopp to replace him with Mignolet, who has been solid since then. Although, it has been a poor start for the German, let's not forget he is only 23 and learning the trades of being a world-class shot-stopper.

Score: 4/10

Joel Matip

Defence has been Liverpool’s Achilles heel in the recent past costing them a title in 2014. Matip became an instant hit at Merseyside when Liverpool acquired his services from Schalke for free. While any newcomer to the Premier League takes time settling and adjusting the physicality, the Cameroon international looks like he has been playing in the Premier League for years.

Matip’s impact at Anfield has been a shade higher than Coutinho this season as Liverpool are yet to suffer a defeat in a game that he has started. The reds have conceded just eleven goals when the 24-year-old has started, highlighting the importance of the former Schalke player. He has already kept the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Harry Kane, and Diego Costa quiet and will only get better as the season progresses.

The reds have missed a dominant figure at the back since the retirement of Jamie Carragher but Matip certainly, appears to be capable of filling that void.