By Antony Jordan
While Liverpool had two final appearances last season as they made the finals of the Europa League and Capital One Cup their eighth placed finish was the joint lowest finishing position in the EPL in more than six decades. Their efforts were not helped by the fact that Brendan Rodgers was fired after two months of the season, but can they push for a place in the top four under his replacement manager, the former Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp?
Online sportsbook Bet365.com do not believe so as their EPL 2016/17 outright odds suggest that they’ll be combating Tottenham for the Europa League places just outside of the top four slots. The Bet365.com Premier League Odds for Liverpool are as follows:
Liverpool to win the 2016/17 EPL title – 10.00
Liverpool to place in the top four of the league – 2.38
Liverpool have been one of the, if not the, most active sides in the transfer market this summer with more than £45m secured in transfer fees whilst they have spent even more with upwards of £60m leaving the club’s bank account. The biggest surprise outgoings are up and coming winger Jordan Ibe who had broken into the first team last season as well as Joe Allen who was one of the most impressive midfield players at the European Championships this summer as Wales reached the semi-finals, but clearly both players, who brought in a combined total of £28m, do not fit in with Jurgen Klopp’s plans for the coming season.
The manager has spent big on players this summer too with a number of arrivals coming from his previous hunting grounds of Germany with central defender Joël Matip and a new goalkeeper in Loris Karius arriving from Schalke and Mainz while defender and stopper Ragnar Klavan and Alex Manninger come in to boost the squad from Augsburg. Less than £10m was spent on these four players, but the majority of the money spent has come from EPL side Southampton and former Premier League team Newcastle as standout attacking players Sadio Mané and Georginio Wijnaldum arrive at the club to offer more a threat going forwards.
Klopp will be hopeful that the experience and quality of these new arrivals will see Liverpool move up the table from behind Southampton and West Ham last season and, if they can keep Daniel Sturridge fit, Liverpool certainly have enough ability to score their way to a top five or six finish in the EPL this season. However, we see their backline still being too weak to see them break back into the top four again this season.
Liverpool’s eighth and sixth placed finishes over the last two seasons have seen them secure 60 and 62 points respectively and with us expecting them to improve this season we’re backing the overs on the Points Total market this season.
Our best bet on Liverpool for this 2016/17 EPL season is to secure Over 68 points in the league @ 2.00 with Bet365.com.