When I saw Liverpool’s line-up to play against Nottingham Forest, with the three young lads in midfield in Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones and Fabio Carvalho - who are all very good players - I just thought that we may have problems with all of them starting at once.
In the cup games, with all due respect to lower league opposition, it wouldn’t be a problem. But when you play in the Premier League, they are always tricky games.
It seems to be that the lower the opposition the trickier the game is for Liverpool this season.
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I’m not putting any blame on those three players, but I just thought it was very unbalanced in regards to the experience out on the pitch. But Liverpool had chances, really good chances, and Forest had a few as well, but in front of goal we were not great.
The first goal was always going to be massive, especially the longer the game went on. It’s so important, and I felt that the first goal was going to win the game and it happened.
Injuries aren't helping Jurgen Klopp solve the problem
Jurgen Klopp can only play with the hand that he’s got, it’s like a game of cards. When you’ve got eight first team players out injured, and if you look at the bench against Forest - who is going to come on and change the game?
Trent Alexander-Arnold? Jordan Henderson? They maybe should have started, but you’ve got to trust the manager.
Why those two were left out, I don’t know. And we got caught out, which we tend to do against the lesser teams quite a bit. Liverpool picked up six points from two games before that, and now it feels like they are back to square one a little bit.
Liverpool just need to get through against Ajax on Wednesday night, although it looks like we’re going to finish in second place in our Champions League group. Get through to the last-16.
Then, hopefully beat Leeds United, Southampton, Derby County in the Carabao Cup, and get something against Tottenham Hotspur and regroup while the World Cup goes on and start again after Christmas. That’s the way I see it.
Liverpool have massive concern that needs addressing
Liverpool’s away form and not winning an away match in the Premier League is massively concerning. You’re never going to be anywhere in the league, top four, unless you start winning away from home.
For whatever reason, I don’t know and I can’t fathom it out. The away matches in the league that we’ve played we should have won, but we haven’t and we've come away with nothing.
And then it can become a bit of a mental block, that’s why I’ve said we need to get past this next month. Get to the World Cup and get that going, and then start again.
Forest match a different game if trio are fit
Nottingham Forest played well and they deserved to win. But if Luis Diaz is on the wing and Diogo Jota or Darwin Nunez is there with Roberto Firmino, it’s a different outcome.
Mohamed Salah had a quiet game, Firmino should have scored. It’s a different team and a different ball game.
So it’ll be frustrating for Klopp with having those players out.
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