Gary Neville thinks Liverpool’s issue is that backup players for the attacking positions are not good enough with Diogo Jota currently injured.
In our past four Premier League matches, we’ve scored just once through Sadio Mane on December 27, meaning we’ve yet to bag in the Premier League in 2021.
Taki Minamino, Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri are the players Neville is pointing the finger at – and while historically this might be the case – it’d be unfair to blame those who’ve sat on the bench and barely come off it for our most recent failings.
“To me I feel like it’s under control at Liverpool. They’ve played non-stop for three years and the fourth year is always the burn out year,” he told Sky Sports last night.
“For three years they’ve been unbelievable. This year we’ve seen a dip and that’s natural.
“He could potentially give them a rest, but they don’t get a rest.
“The two or three players underneath that front three Shaqiri, Minamino and Origi are not good enough.
“I would say the problems for Liverpool are not the front three, it’s Jota’s injury, the season being 100mph and the three beneath them are not good enough to give them a rest as City have pushed them.”
We think Minamino has been harshly done by in many ways. Against Crystal Palace, he started, played really well, scored and Liverpool won 7-0.
But the Japanese hasn’t played a single Premier League minute since. We don’t know what he’s doing in training, but it’s pretty clear Jurgen Klopp doesn’t trust the signing from last January.
Will he get a chance against Burnley? Maybe. With Manchester United on Sunday in the FA Cup, there’ll be a little bit of rotation between the games – and it’ll be mighty interesting to see who comes in and who comes out.
Wow, so much nonsense is spoken by pundits. So burnout only occurs after three years, not two or four but exactly three. As for picking on fringe players, this is an old Fergie tactic. Essentially it’s like saying Mata, Lingaard and Daniel James are any good for Utd, who cares, they are squad players.