Liverpool Show The Way As Chelsea Continue To Stutter - Klopp Should Take A Bow

The summer transfer window is usually a strange time for football fans of all clubs and colours - the speculation permanently goes into overdrive, there are always sagas and there is usually one club that seems like they have drank a little bit too much before the window opens given the spending they now produce, and then the types of players they then spend it on - Liverpool naturally have moments of their own like that, but under manager Jurgen Klopp our spending is normally intelligent and more sensible than others, although granted we are usually up there and not every deal works out as we would have hoped.

This summer has been very different though. As a backdrop to Klopp stating we would never pay three figures for a single player, we were kind of tempted into at least trying given the newly found riches of Newcastle United, and the incredible Football Manager approach Chelsea have taken since Todd Boehly took over (Financial Fair Play anyone??? Anyone at the Premier League awake?), but it was not just that, we also had the emergence of the previously (and largely unknown) Saudi Arabian Pro League. You can Play now on where you think they might end up compared to the Chinese Super League for example, who tried to do the same thing.

Their State sponsored clubs have spent big, bringing in some huge names to disrupt the market, and obviously Liverpool fell foul of this as well. It was known Klopp wanted a mini rebuild and to lower our playing squad age, but we ended up losing more players than originally anticipated and whilst saying we were left 'frantically lurching around' is the wrong way of putting it, there is no denying we did not want as busy a window as we ended up with.

But so far so good, our newbies are settling in, and after four games of the Premier League campaign, we are sat in third place in the table only two points behind Pep Guardiola's Manchester City side, and it is not just our newbies who are finding their form and beginning to impress, last summers big money signing - Darwin Nunez - entered the season in the eyes of many as just a back up after his performances last year, but we are already seeing a completely different gear to him as he looks far more settled (already two goals and an assist to his name).

It could be a very interesting year ahead again, after the disappointments of last season, as our newbies will only get better adjusted, and better on tune with their new team mates as the weeks pass, and Nunez shows that given time, players can most certainly adjust better to the Premier League level and begin offering what some in the fan base, and the wider media, think they never could.

Our chance creation, and conversion, is a reason to be cheerful - particularly in light of the playing squad adjustments - but maybe former Scotland international winger (cough) Pat Nevin, actually puts our summer well into perspective.

"Fifteen months since the new owners stepped in at Chelsea, they are still transitioning like no other top-level club I have ever witnessed. The loss to Nottingham Forest has them in the bottom half again, just like much of last season, so work remains to be done. There is a great skill in changing intelligently, while ensuring you don’t plummet in the meantime. Step up Liverpool FC. The entire midfield and attacking force has been changed in just over a season, yet just look at their current Premier League form. A 10-man win at Newcastle and a 3-0 canter against Aston Villa has them tucked in nicely in joint second position. Since February they have lost only two of 22 league games, with a 72% points return. These are comfortably top four figures, while integrating half of a new team. Jurgen Klopp can take a bow, but leave the lap of honour until later, it is still early days."

Let us see what the rest of the year brings.