Liverpool are entering the final month of the Premier League season with their Champions League hopes still flickering, just barely.
The Reds entertain Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday afternoon after the midweek round of fixtures left them seven points behind Manchester United, who currently occupy the final spot for qualification to next season's European Cup.
Ahead of another big weekend of fixtures, the ECHO brings you all the latest developments and off-diary tidbits in our Liverpool Notebook.
Pre-season taking shape
Liverpool are yet to officially confirm their pre-season details but plans are gathering pace behind the scenes as the Reds get set for a training camp in Germany ahead of a trip to Singapore.
The decision has been taken to swap around the order of things this summer with Jurgen Klopp keen to whip his players into shape earlier than last year when the more commercially-driven tour to the Far East was taken before an intense training camp in Austria. They will report for duty on Saturday July 8.
Klopp believes taking his charges to a European-based camp before the long-haul flight and a trip that aims to serve the commercial side of the operation more will ensure that his players build up a better base of fitness level quicker than last summer, which the manager has gradually conceded across the course of this season was a far from perfect preparation for this term.
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A friendly with Bayern Munich is on the agenda in Germany before they fly out to Singapore for a second trip in as many summers to the Far East. It's understood the club turned down the chance to take part in a series of high-profile friendlies in the United States, which would have located them on the west coast at a training base in Las Vegas.
Klopp is determined to ensure there are no mistakes repeated this coming summer and believes the more arduous European leg of the schedule will benefit his players more if it comes earlier in the calendar.
Some of Liverpool's players have also spoken about the help they believe their end-of-season holidays will give them ahead of the summer work after what has been a unique football calendar that contained a mid-season World Cup in Qatar.
John Henry flies in
Eagle-eyed supporters certainly did not miss John W Henry at the London Stadium on Wednesday night.
Liverpool's principal owner was at the game to oversee his side beat West Ham 2-1 in what was his first live match since the 9-0 hammering of Bournemouth back in August. Prior to that, the Fenway Sports Group chief was in Paris for the Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid.
Henry met with Klopp on Tuesday for informal discussions, with the Reds boss revealing as much in his post-match press conference at the London Stadium, saying: “We had talks already. We spoke last night in the hotel, we have already had a talk. I knew that he was coming.”
Henry also held discussions with CEO Billy Hogan, who was also at the London Stadium, as Liverpool gear up for what is expected to be a big summer in terms of rebuilding the squad, particularly in the midfield area.
Julian Ward in place at Anfield
Someone else at Liverpool who is tasked with a big summer of outgoing sporting director Julian Ward, who will leave the club after over a decade this summer.
Ward has not yet been in place as sporting director for 12 months but announced in November, after just one transfer window, that he would be walking away after serving his notice.
It was a decision that shocked many within the club, including Ward's own department, but he is still working tirelessly on a major summer that will see Liverpool target a handful of new midfielders.
The lesser-spotted Ward did make his presence known to reporters who had gathered at Anfield's post-match mixed zone after the 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday. Ward immediately made a beeline for Harvey Elliott and Neco Williams, who were holding a private conversation away from the journalists after the game.
Ward may be counting the weeks before he departs one of the most intense and demanding off-field jobs in football but there is still much work to do behind the scenes where recruitment is concerned.
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