Long gone are the days of Liverpool dispatching of sides with ease. 4-1 against the reigning Premier League champions Leicester City, 6-1 against Hull City and even a victory against the current league leaders Chelsea all spring to mind when thinking about Liverpool’s early season form.
However, the recent 2-0 defeat away to Hull has highlighted the problems at Anfield. It is not time to panic yet but let’s look at the problems Jurgen Klopp has to deal with or he risks losing out on a Champions League place.
The Style of Play
Liverpool started the season with a high pressing, scintillating style of play. They would blow teams away by winning the ball high up the pitch, counter-attacking with swiftness and efficiency. The Reds played at a level that other teams simply couldn’t cope with. As the season wore on, this style continued but at the turn of the New Year, it disappeared.
Players began to be slow and sluggish and opposition sides were able to deal with them with relative ease. They have lacked the cutting edge that took them to wins over the likes of Arsenal and a defensively stubborn Stoke City side and have recently struggled against the likes of Plymouth and Wolves. Klopp has got to find a way to get his players back to their best if he wants to deliver elite football next season.
The Attitude of the Players
Being undefeated against the current top six is no mean feat, but it is somewhat diminished by the fact Liverpool’s four losses this season have come against Burnley, Bournemouth, Swansea and Hull. None of those sides are aiming to compete at the level that Liverpool are, so all of those results are huge disappointments. Klopp has argued that his players’ attitude is not to blame for the recent slump in results but it has to be a factor. Having confidence going into matches is fine but being overconfident is inexcusable and is something Liverpool could be accused of. If they go into games expecting to walk all over their opposition and don’t play to the best of their ability, they will be beaten. The Premier League is unforgiving, something Liverpool are finding out the hard way. Klopp has got to tell his players they will not be handed results, they have to earn them.
A Goalkeeping Crisis
This may not be a key factor is determining what has gone wrong at Liverpool but it is an important one. Loris Karius and Simon Mignolet have been battling for the goalkeeping jersey all season and Klopp has put his faith behind the Belgian thus far.
Liverpool are by no means a strong defensive team. They have good individuals at the back but they are not good as a unit. Despite defensive struggles, the biggest weakness for Liverpool is their goalkeeper. The current situation can provide healthy competition and it means the goalkeepers will perform to their best but I believe all it has done is provide a distraction for the whole team.
The players have got to be focused on winning football matches and it seemed Klopp had put the situation behind him but Mignolet’s has not looked confident in recent games and this has put the goalkeeping problem to the forefront of the club. It does not appear to be going away.
Liverpool are a team who should be competing for the Premier League every season. They have a strong team and the club is full of talented players. They have got to fix their problems so they can achieve a Champions League place and attract Europe’s top players to help them win a first Premier League title.
