This week’s international break allows several English Premier League clubs to press the reset button. One of those clubs is Liverpool, which has had a stop-start season, winning only two of its first six matches, and losing once.
It has already dropped nine points after only losing 22 points the whole of last season.
The Mersey club was affected by injuries to several midfielders that forced the last-minute loan for Juventus’ Arthur Melo.
The good news for Liverpool is that 15 players will remain behind to work on their fitness.
They include defenders Joel Matip, Andy Robertson, and Ibrahima Konate, midfielders Thiago Alcantara and Arthur, and talented youngsters Stefan Bajcetic and Fabio Carvalho.
Another team that needs a reset is Chelsea, which lost two of its last four Premier League matches.
The London club spent an incredible £251.09 million in the summer window, and then sacked Thomas Tuchel after losing to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League.
His replacement, Graham Potter, has yet to see action for Chelsea in the Premier League, due to Queen Elizabeth II’s death and subsequent funeral.
He took charge of his first game in the Champions League against RB Salzburg. The match ended 1-1.
Another big spender is Nottingham Forest.
Promoted from the Championship via the playoffs, Forest recruited 22 players – including the loan of Dean Henderson – for £145.76 million.
Manager Steve Cooper worked wonders in the Championship, but Forest is second from bottom in the Premier League with four points from seven games.
A former World Cup winning coach, albeit for the Under-17 tournament five years ago, the Englishman needs his team to start on the right foot when the league resumes.
Forest owners have a history of getting rid of coaches, with five sackings between January 2019 and September 2021.
Brendan Rodgers is another manager in danger as Leicester is the only team yet to win a match this season.
In Rodgers’ defence, the Foxes only brought in three free signings, but lost captain and goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, and key defender Wesley Fofana.
West Ham, seventh last season, spent £163.80 million – the third highest after Chelsea and Manchester United (£214.22 million) – but is third from bottom on four points, ahead of Forest on goal difference.
David Moyes has the backing of the fans and the board after guiding the London club to Europe in the past two seasons. But if the Hammers do not improve after the break, he will be in real trouble.
