Liverpool begin a new era on Saturday as they play their first Premier League match without Jurgen Klopp for almost nine years.
It will be a big occasion at Portman Road, as Ipswich Town make their return to the top division after 22 years away.
The Tractor Boys’ last Premier League fixture was a 5-0 loss against Liverpool back in May 2002. A similar result this time around would kick the Arne Slot age off nicely.
It would also signal that the Reds are looking to be right up there once again in the title race this season. Liverpool went close last year and although the first-team squad has not been strengthened, it looks good enough to at least do the same again.
Having had a good final campaign under Klopp, the Reds are also back in the Champions League after a season away. And legendary former defender Jamie Carragher has shared which competition he thinks his old club are more likely to win.
Jamie Carragher makes Liverpool season prediction
The Champions League is of course facing a revamp this season. The format as we knew it for so long has been replaced by a more complex ‘Swiss system.’
Initially, this means that Liverpool will play two more games on top of the usual six. They’ll have eight ‘group stage’ fixtures to get through.
Quite what that means for the competition in terms of the bigger sides getting through remains to be seen. But Liverpool will obviously be hoping to make it to the last-16 as usual.
Nevertheless, it should be noted that Slot has only had one season of experience in Europe’s top competition. Maybe expectations should be dampened a little.
READ MORE: Michael Owen predicts where Liverpool will finish in the Premier League this season
But Liverpool have a special relationship with the Champions League and Slot will no doubt quickly find out about those famous floodlit nights at Anfield.
According to Liverpool legend Carragher, anyway, the Reds still have the chance to go all the way this season.
Speaking to The Overlap, the 46-year-old predicted that his old club would have more chance in the Champions League than the Premier League in 2024/25.
“Liverpool have got more chance of winning the Champions League than the Premier League,” Carragher stated.
Liverpool need to strengthen for title push
Heading into pre-season, a lot of Liverpool fans would likely have been wary of getting carried away. No one quite knew how things would look in a post-Klopp world.
However, as the summer has progressed, it has become clear that Liverpool are going to be good under Slot.
The Dutchman is a serious coach and clearly has a very exact idea of how he wants to play football. Rivals have called Slot ‘the best trainer in the world right now‘ and that is testament to his hard work.
Having said that, it’s hard to see how Liverpool can go for either the Premier League or Champions League without some investment in the transfer market.
The Reds are yet to sign anyone at all and, in theory at least, are weaker than when they ended the last campaign. If one or two quality additions are made, we can see Liverpool pushing for both of these trophies. If not, sadly, we cannot.
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