This is the thing though. Liverpool have not been a consistent team. Add to that, they gained a great advantage from the form of one player who is very unlikely to repeat. So many things to go wrong. I think you're taking stats from consistent teams or even powerhouses and trying to apply them to a team that are more likely to have been one season wonders (see Past Liverpool teams also). There is a high probability of failure with them.
I equate Liverpool's last season more with the couple of times in the last 15 years that they've had remarkable seasons than I do with any consistency or overall improvement trend. I would not be surprise at all to see them finish 5th.
What do those teams have in common to this one besides the name? Almost nothing
Once they hired Klopp, FSG have completely turned a corner with their spending. Even when they sold Suarez, they only spent 110m, for about a 35m net. They also spread it out over a ton of players, Lallana at 25m being the highest.
Compare that to now when they are spending 160m on three players! Plus Shaqiri and anyone else they bring in. Their only sale was third string keeper and the only other loss is Can, who was on the fringes for most of last year anyways.
Salah may very well drop off in his goal scoring, but I wouldn’t expect it to be drastic since all the variables are the same as last year. There’s also no reason to expect drop offs from anyone besides Milner, because they are all either in or hitting their prime. Don’t think any starter will be above 28.
It’s fair to say that they have been inconsistent under Klopp, but that’s been the difference between being a top two club vs fourth - not between sneaking into the top four and being outside.
GOAT Foden and BRAHIM THE DREAM.
