Our Liverpool fans here inside the Transfer Tavern are seeing if some of the fringe players can start to impress enough in the final hurdle of the season, to stay on.

Liverpool in recent times have really turned on the gas and are firmly within the Champions League spots, much to the delight of our resident Reds. Jurgen Klopp will want that to continue straight up until May no doubt as he looks to finish the campaign as strongly as possible. Indeed, in that run up to the end of the season, it gives players the chance to start to impress the manager enough to be considered for next season, if they haven’t been at their best so far.

Liverpool will be looking to use this season as a building block in order to move on to further things next year, and hopefully bring some silverware to Anfield, so our local Liverpudlians are hoping anyway.

With that in mind, our landlord has been having a look at the Liverpool squad and seeing which two players need to start upping their game ASAP…

Joel Matip

The Cameroonian defender is in a straight tussle to partner new signing Virgil van Dijk in the centre of the Liverpool defence. However, as it stands Dejan Lovren seems to be Klopp’s number one choice with the centre-back impressing with his recent displays, despite his inconsistent form since his move from Southampton.

Joel Matip will look to stake a claim for the spot going forward and will want to show Klopp and the fans that a new defender shouldn’t be so high on the priority list as everyone makes out.

Simon Mignolet

Liverpool have had ‘keeper problems all season long and one of the factors in that is the indecisive decision making of Klopp. Loris Karius and Simon Mignolet have been in and out of the team all season, which has not helped with their confidence or stability at the back.

At the moment, Karius seems to be the first choice amidst a lot of speculation of a new possible keeper coming in, and the Belgian really needs to take his game up a fair few notches to stop the rumours happening.