Liverpool fans are completely united behind Jurgen Klopp and love his vision for our future.
But we haven’t won in three matches, all against poor opposition, and there’s some players we reckon are performing below par.
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While Klopp’s improved Emre Can, Dejan Lovren, Jordon Ibe and Coutinho to name but a few, some experienced stars need to step up if they’re to keep their spots in the side.
Combined, these players cost £95.5m, and we think they need to be delivering more.
1) James Milner
Milner’s our highest paid player but with Jordan Henderson back fit, the vice-captain might not be able to get himself in the team. The England international works tremendously hard, but for what benefit? Too rarely we see a clever forward pass or a creative action that puts the team on the front foot. Milner’s tremendous off the ball, but top sides should have possession more than they don’t and the 29-year-old isn’t effective when we’re piling forward. Henderson burst into the box against West Brom and scored, but we can’t remember Milner doing this all season. If Milner’s playing alongside an anchorman, we need to see more of it.
2) Christian Benteke
Our £32.5m striker has notched once in seven games. Benteke always scored his goals in bursts at Aston Villa and we’re seeing the same thing here now he’s at Liverpool. But we could forgive the dry patch if he was contributing more during matches. The Belgian isn’t making enough telling runs, he’s not closing down quickly and he’s not actually holding onto the ball very well either – something which we he should do automatically. With Daniel Sturridge injured and seemingly unable to ever get himself properly fit, Benteke simply needs to improve. He has creative players behind him like Coutinho, Adam Lallana and Jordon Ibe, while our fullbacks are forever overlapping. Benteke gets chances in our team, but he needs to take the easier ones and provide a more dynamic presence as our focal point.
3) Simon Mignolet
No player in the Premier League has made more mistakes which have led to goals than our goalkeeper during the past three seasons, say WhoScored. Mignolet came and flapped at a corner versus West Brom on Sunday, and with Liverpool dominating and leading at that point, we can definitely say that his blunder cost us the three points. Jurgen Klopp backs him and he’s getting a new contract, but now the keeper needs to prove he deserves the support of one of the world’s best managers and a bumper new deal. Replacing Mignolet wouldn’t be hard. There’s a host of talented Bundesliga stoppers who could take his place, but Klopp is adamant Mignolet’s his man. We trust the German implicitly, but hope Mignolet won’t prove his blind spot.
4) Roberto Firmino
Liverpool’s biggest enigma right now is undoubtedly the Brazilian summer signing. Firmino started life on Merseyside slowly, deployed out of position by Brendan Rodgers and struggling with an injury early on. He was forgiven poor performances as a result, and fans began to rub hands with glee after seeing the £29m attacker ooze class at the Etihad alongside Coutinho. He was arguably our best player in the 4-1 demolition of the Premier League favourites, and some even began to make Luis Suarez comparisons. These were naive based on what we’ve seen since, with Firmino abysmal against Bordeaux, Swansea Newcastle and FC Sion – contributing virtually nothing in the final third. How can a player with so much talent go missing so badly? Difficult to exactly say, but Coutinho’s return will help him, with his fellow Brazilian most obviously on his wavelength. With Benteke poor at the moment too, Firmino might do best as a False 9, with Coutinho and Lallana on either side – as worked so well against Chelsea and City. Whatever Klopp decides, Firmino needs to show us more, or he risks labelling himself an expensive flop.
5) Adam Lallana
Lallana always plays ‘well’. He’s always tidy on the ball, always harries the opposition. But we simply don’t see enough end product. The 27-year-old has the technical ability and creative spark to assist and score goals, but it doesn’t happen anywhere near enough. Attribute wise, Lallana’s got the lot, bar serious pace, but clearly lacks killer instinct. Take Sunday as an example: through on goal in the 80th minute with Liverpool desperate for an equaliser, the playmaker shoots tamely at the keeper. In his last nine matches for club and country, Lallana’s notched just one assist – a headed knockdown – failing to contribute in the thrashings of City or Southampton. Klopp likes Lallana, because more than any other attacker, the Englishman will press and work tirelessly. But his fondness for the former Saints skipper will wane unless he becomes entirely more clinical in the coming months.
