Liverpool have made their worst start to a season under Jurgen Klopp and their tally of 10 points after eight games is even lower than Brendan Rodgers’ return of 12 from his first eight matches, which cost him his job seven years ago.
Mirror Sport has analysed five key problems for Liverpool :
DEFENCE
Liverpool’s mean defence used to be the platform for much of their success, but their red wall has been replaced with a red sieve. They have conceded 12 in their eight Premier League games and 17 in total this season.
Much has been made of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s defensive frailties and he was at fault for Arsenal’s opening two goals yesterday at the Emirates, but it would be wrong to pin everything on him.
Virgil van Dijk is no longer the defensive colossus he was and as one wag put it, he looks more like Virgil from Thunderbirds. Joel Matip is also struggling for form and Kostas Tsimikas is not the reliable understudy for Andy Robertson he was last season.
Liverpool’s full-backs also don’t get forward like they used to and their delivery from the wings was a key component of their attacking play.
MIDFIELD
Liverpool’s midfield three of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Thiago Alcantara have looked old and slow this season. Father Time looks like he is catching up on the 32-year-old Henderson, who has been the dynamo of the Reds’ engine room for so long
Thiago is an excellent passer of the ball, but is injury prone and makes reckless challenges, as evidenced by his foul on Gabriel Jesus for Arsenal’s winner from the penalty spot.
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James Milner is even older than Henderson and this could be his final season at Anfield, while Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and Curtis Jones are not the solution. Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho have bright futures ahead of them, but they are not Liverpool’s present.
Arthur Melo has made no impact and after making one substitute appearance in the Napoli debacle, he was last seen playing against Rochdale in the Papa Johns Trophy. He will now be sidelined for the next three to four months.
ATTACK
Sadio Mane’s departure for Bayern Munich has clearly weakened Liverpool and they miss his energy leading their press as much as his goals and creativity.
Darwin Nunez has struggled to fill his considerable boots and the Uruguayan has managed just two goals in his eight Premier League and Champions League appearances. Yet the biggest problem up front for Liverpool is Mo Salah’s collapse in form.
Even when Liverpool last struggled in the middle part of the 2020-21 season, he still kept banging the goals in, but not anymore. Last season’s FWA Footballer of the Year has just four goals in 11 games. Compare that to last season when he had 12 at this stage.
He increasingly looks like a peripheral figure on the right and gone are those trademark moves inside and left-foot finishes into the far top corner.
NO PRESS
One of Jurgen Klopp’s trademark tactics at Liverpool has been his high press and the Reds used to win the ball high up the pitch by swamping their opponents.
Not any more and Liverpool’s drop in their pressing game is a sign of their lack of intensity in games. Mane was key for leading their press and now Salah can he seen half-heartedly, trying to press on his own and being bypassed.
Perhaps Liverpool’s ageing side no longer have the energy to press like they used to and maybe they are still tired after last season’s physically and mentally exhausting campaign?
Whatever the reason, Liverpool’s press is not the same and opponents are finding it much easier to play against them, even at Anfield.
TRANSFER POLICY
It was obvious Liverpool needed to freshen up in the summer, particularly in midfield, yet the only senior signing was Nunez who was brought in to replace Mane. They wanted Jude Bellingham or Aurelien Tchouameni, but decided against going for anyone when they failed to land either.
Then, perhaps, mindful that they had made a mistake, they ended up bundling Arthur Melo over the line before the transfer window closed and he is proving to be another Ben Davies.
Liverpool, usually so good in developing their squad, took their eye off the ball when it came to strengthening their midfield and they should have acted long before last summer. Perhaps this failing is down to Julian Ward succeeding Michael Edwards as sporting director and Edwards is a tough act to follow.
Money is a factor and Liverpool splurged their summer transfer budget on the £64million up front payment for Nunez and this left them unable to pursue their other top targets.
Despite their success under Klopp, Liverpool still cannot match the financial resources of Manchester City, Chelsea or Manchester United. Liverpool clearly need rebuilding and this is going to make the task even harder.
