Any fans hoping for a Liverpool overhaul in the summer transfer window may have been left a little disappointed.
A quick glance at the average starting XI in 2024/25 would very much indicate to the naked eye that this is still a Jurgen Klopp side.
There was some minor surgery, of course. Federico Chiesa and Giorgi Mamardashvili (arriving in 2025) were secured in the summer transfer window.
Ultimately, though, few can argue with the results Arne Slot has secured in the opening stages of the campaign.
Pep Lijnders: Bobby Clark is a ‘bit crazy’
We have very little in the way of complaints over our current options in the middle of the park.
Ryan Gravenberch looks like a player transformed after a mixed 2023/24 season, whilst Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai ooze class and industry respectively.
The fact we can likewise call upon Curtis Jones – who excelled against Chelsea at the weekend – and Harvey beyond them is the cherry on top of the cake.
With that in mind, it’s difficult to imagine Bobby Clark having racked up heavy minutes in this Liverpool side, had he not opted for a permanent transfer in the summer.
Yet, you could forgive fans for wondering ‘what if?’ following Pep Lijnders’ glowing report of the midfielder.
“Bobby is so young but everything about him, it breathes ATTACK!,” the Dutch coach told the Daily Mail.
“It suits this club a lot… we say, ‘We are the crazy guys from Salzburg’. He is a bit crazy as well.
“He wants to score, wants to create, he is a typical English player… unpredictable on the ball. We love that he was interested in playing for me and Vitor, that’s really cool. It is not easy to sign the best talents but with him, we got one.”
Only time will tell whether Jurgen Klopp’s former assistant was justified in his excitement around this transfer – and whether we missed a trick not holding on to the footballer.