Pep Guardiola has suggested that Liverpool’s performances this term have suffered due to a lack of potency in the box, claiming that the Reds “are not as clinical as they were before”, as reported by TEAMtalk.
As things stand, Jurgen Klopp’s side have registered one less effort than Manchester City in the Premier League this season, with 45 goals.
“In the boxes they are not as clinical as they were before but the quality of their team is still there,” the Catalan told journalists, after his side beat Tottenham 3-0 yesterday. “As a spectator, I always enjoy watching Liverpool.”
It’s a rather remarkable statement to make, considering that only Manchester United and City have been more prolific than the Merseysiders this term.
While the Spaniard is correct to point out that Liverpool have been less potent this time around – collecting 11 fewer league goals than at the same stage in 2019/20 (56) – our issues are more a symptom of our injury list.
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Losing an entire array of centre-halves, not to mention our backup option in Fabinho, has been highly costly to our style of play.
Dragging midfielders into the backline has meant that our deficiencies in the back four have spread upwards to the midfield and beyond, affecting the service to the front-three.
Liverpool are short of goals this season (though not horrifically so), but to say that our main issue is the lack of a ‘clinical’ edge in the box is to avoid the crux of the issue behind our poor results of late.
He said the same about his own team last year, despite them clearly outscoring Liverpool (102 goals) and conceding just two more than, in the league.