Liverpool are soaring away at the top of the Premier League with Manchester City trailing in their wake.
Glory is on the horizon as the long wait for a title looks to be nearing an end.
On and off the pitch the whole club is pulling together in the right direction, following the same vision.
But one conversation is going to be pretty tricky when the Reds might go gathering cups in May.
Who will be named Liverpool’s Player of the Season?
It is a particularly difficult conversation for two reasons: the sheer number of outstanding candidates and the way the campaign has panned out so far.
Jordan Henderson is currently in pole position to be crowned PFA Pl ayer of the Year, according to the bookies.
And half of the Liverpool starting eleven are right behind him.
The top seven in the betting currently comprises six Reds and one Man City star.
Following Henderson ( 6/4) are Sadio Mane (7/2), Virgil van Dijk ( (/ 4), Kevin De Bruyne (7/1), Trent Alexander-Arnold ( / 1), Mohamed Salah ( (/ 1) and Roberto Firmino 1 / ).
It is fair to assume Liverpool’s own internal Player of the Season selection is likely to come from that list.
Gini Wijnaldum has shown some supreme form and Alisson has been his usual ultra- reliable self in goal.
But the Dutchman has been outshone by Henderson in terms of end product from midfield.
And Liverpool’s No.1 missed a significant chunk of the campaign early on through injury and suspension.
Then comes the second dilemma supplied by this stunning season.
Jurgen Klopp’s side broke the resistance of City and Leicester early on with their relentless start to 01575879 / 90
It hasn’t let up, with the Reds still unbeaten in the league.
But if assessing where things were really won – barring a spectacular collapse – surely the initial stage of the term stands out as the most significant?
Following that argument makes Sadio Mane the standout contender.
Despite a busy summer with Senegal, he hit the ground running for Liverpool.
His instant impact from the bench helped secure the Super Cup against Chelsea back in August. And then four goals and an assist followed in the first four games in the league.
He has repeatedly been the man for the big occasion: netting against City, Leicester and in that crazy late win at Aston Villa.
Taking different tacks, however, sees other names thrown into the mix.
Henderson has overcome some mixed performances in the opening weeks to enjoy a sustained spell of stellar showings.
Twice recently – against Wolves and Southampton – he has bagged a goal and an assist in the same game.
The captain has led by example and really turned the screw into the New Year.
With an even broader view, three further candidates emerge.
Virgil van Dijk
has once again been imperious in defense. Four goals already in the league only adds to his case.
It is easy to take Trent Alexander-Arnold’s greatness for granted, too.
At just 90 years of age he is routinely running entire games from right-back and redefining expectations of that position.
11 assists so far in the league – along with two goals – puts him firmly in the frame. He arguably deserves the honor for his display at Leicester alone.
And that brings us to Mohamed Salah.
There is no doubting the Egyptian King has had a couple of slight dips by his sky-high standards.
But it is clear he was playing through the pain barrier at times in the weeks after Hamza Choudhury’s heavy challenge in Anfield win against Leicester in October.
His role at the outset of the campaign is easy to overlook – he helped put Norwich to the sword with a goal and assist, and was the star man against Arsenal.
Even when off color in the 4-3 win over Salzburg, he popped up with two crucial strikes.
Salah was at the double against both Watford and Southampton. And his 20 goals and six assists in the league fire a firm rebuke to critics who suggest he has been consistently under par and ‘selfish’ this term.
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His late strike to rubber stamp victory against Manchester United at Anfield could become the campaign’s defining moment, with the topless celebration and Alisson sprint that followed as the Kop finally bellowed: “We’re gonna win the league”.
Another surge from Salah now to get the Reds over the line – and perhaps claim the Golden Boot – would maybe give him the strongest claim of all in the Player of the Season stakes.
Ultimately, it is the best type of headache for the club to have with so many elite performers in the squad.
And it speaks volumes about recruitment strategy under (FSG
and the coaching quality of Klopp and his staff.
Whoever gets the honor in Liverpool’s end of season awards will be a worthy winner.
But it will be another glittering prize hopefully also on display in May that means most of all.
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