Liverpool are in free fall, but who is expected to provide a landing mat?
Tom Ball
On Sunday, Liverpool lost their SIXTH game in a row at Anfield. After not losing the SIXTY EIGHT before that. A ‘niggling injury problem’ that went to a ‘rut that is expected to pass’ has now turned into ‘full blown panic stations, we are going down very quickly’. Not down from the Premier League of course. Let’s not mask Fulham’s win at the weekend as a relegation six pointer.
Evidently, that’s a bit of tongue ‘n cheek. However, every team that visits Anfield seems to be more confident than Liverpool themselves. These statements really do give the current pandemic a run for its money in terms of ‘unprecedented times’. Even through Liverpool’s post-Rafa years, that are looked back as a very dark time for the club. They could always rely on fortress Anfield and a full Kop to lead them to glory on any given night. It is worth mentioning that the stadium is empty at games but that’s a frail excuse when you look at the point Jurgen Klopp’s men are at now.
So why are they at this point? and why haven’t a team who hasn’t put a foot wrong for almost 3 years, not provided any sort of resolution? The loss of Jurgen Klopp’s mother has to be disclaimed. This tragic worldwide health crisis means he cannot engage in his own chosen grieving process. We can only assume that Liverpool Football Club, the players and the Premier League have provided the upmost support to the german. Not being able to have social contact with family makes a sad time even more painful. I think I speak for everyone when we say that managers like Jurgen make our game as great as it is. It pains even the harshest of opponents to see one of the game’s most infectious minds going through such an awful time off the field.
We cannot get stuck in a trap. It’s become impulsive for us to turn straight to a manager when it all goes wrong. The nature of our game means that they are the first to go. The loneliness of their job means they can get stuck on an island. Therefore, we must also look at the players. In the red’s loss to Chelsea. Mohammed Salah was subbed off at the earliest point in a game since September 2017. He was on substituted on that day as a victim of a tactical reshuffle that was prompted by a red card Sadio Mane received against Manchester City. The Egyptian is trusted by his coach and the performances have been provided in return. It is rumoured that Jurgen was unhappy with the forward’s response to being asked to track back and took him off. Much like Thomas Tuchel’s recent incident with Callum Hudson-Odoi at St. Mary’s. Luckily for Salah, he had actually started the game. The winger hasn’t been out of the goals. He never is. On the contrary goals are an easy mask for what has been a dip in form. His performances alongside Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, that have always been Anfield’s star attraction, have been nothing short of awful. They look much closer to the price tag Liverpool bought them for and not the price tag many would now value them at. This is the in today’s market, a market where Alvaro Morata is still apparently worth upwards of £40 million.
This is telling. Liverpool’s players have completely lost the intensity and belief at which they would find wins in games if they didn’t play well. The best version of this Liverpool team was the one that came second to City. However, the reason they won last year was because no matter how bad they played or how well their opponent played. They would always win. To a point where you could not bet against them. ‘Mentality Monsters’ was the phrase coined by their coach. This has now been flipped by Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports to ‘Mentality Midgets’. The Champions look disinterested and dejected. More worryingly, they look completely out of ideas. Even against teams like Fulham, Brighton and Burnley. Now you may say that it is hard to get up for games like that. However, they’ve been outworked and outdone by Manchester City, a team that couldn’t buy a win at Anfield in recent years, and Chelsea, a team that famously ruined their last title challenge on merseyside a few years ago. They also would have fallen to their biggest rivals; Manchester United, if it weren’t for some Alisson heroics. They are struggling in the big games too. You saw a morbid Arsenal pull out a brilliant performance against an in form Chelsea on Boxing Day. Furthermore, a sleepwalking City, looked bored of winning, and deservedly beaten by their red neighbours just after we saw Liverpool’s loss at Anfield. Even teams out on their feet are getting up for these games.
We cannot ignore the injury crisis. The hypotheticals have always been laid out. What were to happen if Van Dijk got injured. Well now we know. But most wouldn’t have envisaged this. Of course, they have lost all three of their first choice centre backs. Not just the dutchman. However, this can be put down to Liverpool’s complacency in the transfer market. They have never been outright obnoxious spenders like the Manchester Clubs. Klopp seems to enjoy keeping things the same. This mentality has come back to haunt them. A popular talking point was that Liverpool’s area to strengthen came at a competent, first class partner for the imperious Virgil Van Dijk. The red’s sold Dejan Lovren in the summer and were left with Joe Gomez and Joel Matip. Two good centre backs that have served as good partners for the dutchman but have always been injury prone. These two had been shuffling that position for a while and still couldn’t stay fit. They were never going to be able to if they both had to play every game. Matip got i cured mid-way through January but even when Van Dijk went down at the start of the season, we immediately said they needed to sign one. The deal for Ozan Kabak was great, loan with option to buy allows them to stick to their transfer model if required in the summer. One can only tell why that and the Ben Davies deal didn’t happen until deadline day. This meant that neither were up to speed for the visit from City.
We all know what this has done to their midfield. Klopp felt inclined to put Fabinho and Henderson, two guys he trusts most, into defence. This has taken them out of midfield. A midfield who’s unorthodox dirty work was a part of what made this team so unstoppable.
Another player who has struggled is Trent Alexander-Arnold. The kid was a sensation, after being praised by Steven Gerrard; Klopp made the kid his first choice right back and he never looked back. The local lad has a right foot every kid dreamed of having and can only be likened to one David Beckham. His right foot is good for nothing when you’re on the back foot and Trent has learnt that the hard way. A really tough evening, where he was ran ragged by fellow countryman and former red; Raheem Sterling, exposed the full-back’s defensive weaknesses. The high and wide position he takes up means that you can get in behind him but his absent defensive leader was always so good in providing that solidity for him. We have to recognise that the England Right-Back exists in a time where full backs aren’t known for this side of the ball anymore. However, Andy Robertson on the other side has really shown how important his all round game is to Liverpool this game. This also doesn’t mean that the defensive side of the game doesn’t exist anymore. Trent once touched on a game he had against Marcus Rashford at Old Trafford and how getting shown up inspired him to improve. However, that was one draw in a title winning season. This is a whole different test.
The solution is not to sack Jurgen Klopp. No matter how hipster or profound you try and spin it. It’s still, at least at this stage, complete nonsense. This club and him are a great marriage going though a slight falling out. The love is still there and breaking things off shouldn’t be in each parties realm of thinking. Unfortunately, this is something the coach will be judged the most on. Klopp got stuck in a free fall at Dortmund but when Bayern Munich are mugging you every time you step outside the house it’s hard to maintain a certain level of value.
We will see whether Klopp is made of right stuff. At first you were just thinking that they would find their way through it like all great teams do. This is now going way beyond that, you are now struggling to see where it ends. Klopp has more than earned the time to prove he can get them back to where they want to be. Fenway Sports Group and John W. Henry are smart enough to realise Roman Abramovich has his own way of doing things. It doesn’t mean you should do the same.