As Liverpool prepare to make the trip to Old Trafford on Monday night, it’s impossible not to recall the Reds’ 5-0 thrashing of Manchester United from last season with a smile on one's face.
The most remarkable of occasions for Kopites, capped off with renditions of, ‘Ole’s at the wheel!’, the trip is best remembered for Mohamed Salah ’s historic hat-trick. However, it should also be remembered for one of the best performances of Naby Keita ’s Liverpool career.
Opening the scoring after just five minutes, the Guinean then set up Salah’s first goal to make it 3-0 and was simply unplayable before being stretchered off shortly after the hour-mark following a reckless lunge from Paul Pogba, which resulted in the Frenchman being sent off.
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The 27-year-old would recover to start the following weekend against Brighton & Hove Albion, only to be forced off by injury again inside the opening 20 minutes. This time he would be ruled out for just shy of six weeks.
Despite such a setback, Keita would go on to enjoy the most impressive season of his Liverpool career to date as the Reds won both the FA Cup and League Cup, while falling agonisingly short of clinching an unprecedented quadruple.
Illness has prevented the midfielder from featuring in the Premier League yet this season, but as Liverpool travel to Old Trafford for the first time since that most famous of away victories 10 months ago, Keita will be looking to kick start both his and the winless Reds’ season. And with Klopp’s squad decimated by injury and the midfielder’s future the subject of increasing scrutiny, a repeat performance from the Guinean would come at a time when Liverpool need it most.
Reports in Germany on Wednesday claimed Keita was unhappy with the negotiations over a new Reds deal, suggesting they had broken down while hinting he could leave before the transfer window closes on September 1. However, the ECHO understands Liverpool have received no indication of the Guinean being discontent with his situation, and maintain a good relationship with the player and his representatives.
Regular talks are ongoing and are expected to continue, with Klopp wanting the midfielder to stay put. At the very least, the German insisted Keita was not for sale when speaking at his latest press conference.
"Do we sell Naby now and not replace him? No, that is not possible," Klopp said. "Of course not. But it is not the plan. We are done, so we don't think that a player can go and we don’t replace him.
"No, there's no chance. Naby will not go but if he would, which he will not do, there must be a replacement, of course. It's clear."
Injuries to Thiago Alcantara, Curtis Jones and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain ensure Keita is poised to play the most important of roles for Liverpool in the weeks ahead, starting with Monday’s trip to Old Trafford. Should he repeat his showing from last October, the Reds’ desire to retain his services will only grow.
The Guinean is a player that divides opinion like no other in the Liverpool fanbase. A simple example of this came in a recent ECHO poll where 55% of Reds fans voted they would sell Keita while the other 45% want to keep him.
On his day, as was the case at Old Trafford last year, he is unplayable. Yet he also struggles with consistency and injuries and despite now starting his fifth season at Anfield, is yet to really nail down first-choice status.
Admittedly such a viewpoint is simplistic, given Klopp’s rotation of his midfield options game to game. But if you asked supporters to pick an XI from a fully fit and on-form Liverpool squad for a Champions League final, fans would universally select Thiago and Fabinho in the engine-room but remain unable to agree whether the third berth should be Keita’s or not.
The fact he was limited to substitute duty against Real Madrid in Paris for last year’s European Cup final reiterates such a fact. Meanwhile, the Reds’ disappointing 1-0 loss only fuelled the debate regarding Keita’s role even further.
Either way, he is now within the final year of his contract and it remains unclear whether the 27-year-old will still be a Liverpool player in 12 months’ time. Regardless of the noise coming out of Anfield or the transfer rumours over in Germany, the midfielder’s future lies in his own hands.
In the absence of Thiago, Jones and Oxlade-Chamberlain, should he build on last year’s impressive season, then he will hold all the power when it comes to contract negotiations with Liverpool or, if he wishes, overseas clubs from January when he is free to discuss pre-contract agreements.
But at a time when the Reds are struggling with injuries and really need a win at Old Trafford, should anonymous displays or the sight of the Guinean limping off follow in the weeks ahead, at a time when Klopp needs every single last body standing, the debate and scrutiny regarding his future will continue. Ultimately, it's up to Keita to silence such talk.
Of course, he isn’t the only player Liverpool need to see stand up and be counted following recurring injury problems in these formative weeks of the season. With Ibrahima Konate and Joel Matip already sidelined, Joe Gomez is set to start against Manchester United and partner Virgil van Dijk at centre-back for the first time in nearly 23 months.
With a World Cup on the horizon, and having fallen down the pecking order and being limited to just six Premier League and Champions League starts last season, it’s time for the England international to repay the faith which saw him sign a new long-term contract this summer and make up for lost time.
Meanwhile, Roberto Firmino is in line to start upfront in the absence of the suspended Darwin Nunez, having missed last week’s draw with Crystal Palace through injury. Suffering a number of injuries last year, the Brazilian also dropped down Klopp's pecking order as he made just 12 Premier League and Champions League starts, with his overall return of 35 appearances comfortably the lowest of his Anfield career.
Also out of contract next summer and with his goals return a concern for a number of seasons, such injuries have not aided the 30-year-old's cause. With Sadio Mane now leading the Bundesliga scoring charts with Bayern Munich, Nunez suspended and Diogo Jota injured, now is the time for Firmino to respond.
The trio have all shown what they can do for Liverpool in the past, but question marks inevitably remain above their starting roles in the future. Can the Reds again consistently rely on them? Klopp is about to find out, he has no other choice.
It's no longer a case of the pressure being on for individuals to deliver and play their way into starting contention. Injures elsewhere mean they are already in the side. The men in possession of starting shirts, now it's up to the trio to keep it that way.
As Liverpool travel to Old Trafford, Keita, Gomez and Firmino need to stand up and be counted, to make a mockery of any doubts to break through the clouds hanging above their heads, at a time when their side needs them most.
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