Your Liverpool morning digest for Wednesday, August 24
Liverpool can make unpredictable move and unleash new £5m forward option
Nothing lasts forever. And Pep Lijnders has long acknowledged the problem a demoralised, dishevelled Liverpool are now facing.
"Teams adapt, teams try to destroy our plans and it's most important that we stay unpredictable," said the assistant manager. "Unpredictability means that from each position we can play the last pass, we can speed up the game as much as we can." Lijnders was speaking almost two years ago as he explained the thinking behind the signings of Diogo Jota and, in particular, Thiago Alcantara and what they could bring to a championship-winning Reds side.
READ MORE: What's going wrong at Liverpool and how Jurgen Klopp and FSG can fix it
READ MORE: Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp fumes as Bruno Fernandes red card attempt fails
Liverpool knew then they couldn't afford to stand still, even mere months having dominated the league to an extent unprecedented in their long, trophy-laden history.
Now, after a season in which they came agonisingly close to a trophy quadruple, they find themselves in a similar situation. Consider the comments from Alisson Becker in the wake of Monday's dismal 2-1 defeat at bitter North West rivals Manchester United, in which the goalkeeper admitted teams know exactly how Liverpool are going to play.
Read the full comment from Ian Doyle.
'He can't do it' - Liverpool icon spots Trent Alexander-Arnold problem in Man United defeat
Steve Nicol claims Trent Alexander-Arnold showed no ‘commitment’ in Monday’s defeat at Manchester United – adding the rest of Liverpool's defence can no longer cover for his weakness.
A lacklustre Reds lost 2-1 at Old Trafford after goals from Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford propelled Erik Ten Hag’s side into a 2-0 lead, with Mohamed Salah’s header nothing more than a consolation. Jurgen Klopp’s team were constantly exposed down their right-hand side with Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez enduring a torrid evening – as did Virgil van Dijk alongside them.
The England international right-back has been questioned over his defensive qualities over the last few seasons, but Reds boss Klopp has mitigated the vulnerability with adequate cover behind – with Alexander-Arnold’s attacking influence far outweighing the problems further back. But a woeful performance across the back-four against Manchester United has once again put the 23-year-old under the microscope, with one of his predecessors at right-back, Nicol, at the forefront of the criticism.
Read the full story from Kyle Newbould.
READ NEXT
Paul Scholes names the Liverpool player he was impressed by in Man United defeat
'Teams know the way we play' - Alisson Becker makes Liverpool admission after Manchester United loss
Children had to 'duck under tables' as Man United fans targeted coach before Liverpool game
Liverpool have one fatal flaw Jurgen Klopp must urgently eradicate
