Former Liverpool midfielder Jason McAteer has launched a staunch defence of Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group and called on supporters to stop pointing fingers at such an "easy target".
Liverpool caved to consecutive defeats to sides in the relegation places on Saturday as last weekend's loss at Nottingham Forest was followed by an underwhelming 2-1 reverse to Leeds United at Anfield. It was the Reds' first home defeat in the Premier League in front of supporters for five-and-a-half years.
It also means Jurgen Klopp's side now sit eight points off the Champions League places and face the uphill task of trying to piece their season together in the final few games ahead of the Qatar World Cup, before jetting off to Dubai for a warm-weather training camp in December, where it is hoped they can benefit from a second 'pre-season'.
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However, that hasn't stopped supporters and pundits alike from discussing the reasons for Liverpool's struggles just months after they went within a whisker of achieving an unprecedented quadruple. One such suggestion is that Reds boss Klopp has been failed by the club's owners FSG, whose self-sustaining model is in contrast to rivals like Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City.
"I think it's really poor that they point the finger because I think they are [FSG] an easy target," said McAteer. "We are in a culture in a world of football where we look at Manchester City and Chelsea and how they spend money. Paris Saint-Germain and now Newcastle, people think there is bottomless pit there but there is not.
"To concede in the last minute (to Leeds), top teams don't do that; lapses of concentration and individual errors are costing Liverpool. We can argue about changes in formation and the transfer policy. For me, the team has evolved. I think Jurgen has worked in the restraints of FSG, I think he's spent the money he's been given and spent it in areas he needs to spend it in. We lost (Sadio) Mane because (Mohamed) Salah and Mane, the two deals were coming up [expiring], and we had to choose [between one]. They've just given Mohamed Salah 350k per week, that is a deal in itself."
McAteer added: "I'm not sitting here trying to make excuses for the team because I thought last night was a really poor performance from Liverpool. I think it's shocking to dominate a second half like that and not go on and win the game, or even take a point."
Under former sporting director Michael Edwards, the Reds became the envy of every Premier League side for their capability to scour Europe for exceptional deals for the likes of Luis Diaz, Andy Robertson and Salah, while even becoming the experts at negotiating hefty transfer fees for those, like Philippe Coutinho, who wanted to leave Anfield.
However, such a model can be risky when new players need time to adapt at Anfield over a prolonged period, something which has been the case with players such as Fabinho, Robertson and Ibrahima Konte.
More recently, Liverpool supporters were left frustrated with their American owners back in September when the summer transfer window slammed shut and, after reportedly being content with his midfield options, Klopp was left with the loan signing of Arthur Melo to replace the at-the-time injured duo of Thiago Alcantara and Jordan Henderson.
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