Four things we learned from Liverpool’s loss to Fulham – including Fabinho conundrum

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Football has become a source of immense frustration for Liverpool fans in recent weeks.

Perhaps it’s amplified by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, or the heights we enjoyed over the last two years, but seeing your team consistently underperform is tough.

The Reds registered a 1-0 loss to Fulham at home over the weekend, the sixth defeat on the bounce at Anfield.

There are almost no positives to speak of from the game, but here’s a few other things I took from it…

Fabinho needs to play in midfield 

It was pretty clear to most Liverpool fans already, but the loss to Fulham cemented this idea in my head.

Even though Fabinho often does a great job filling it at centre-half, his anchoring presence in midfield is sorely missed. In the absence of Jordan Henderson, it’s even more important the Brazilian returns to his typical position ASAP.

Nat Phillips, Rhys Williams, Ozan Kabak and Ben Davies are surely enough to tie Liverpool over for the remainder of the season, and they’ll have less to deal with if they’ve got the No.3 shielding them.

Trent can’t be dropped

While Neco Williams is a promising player to be sure, the drop-off from Trent Alexander-Arnold is simply too much.

In normal circumstances, the Welshman filling in for the Scouser against Fulham would’ve been fine, but Liverpool needed the win to get back on track.

By no means is it Neco’s fault, but starting Trent against the Cottagers would have greatly improved the Reds’ chances.

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Keita and Jota need more time

They’ve both returned to fold after lengthy injuries of late and did show some sparks of creativity over the weekend, but Diogo Jota and Naby Keita aren’t at 100% just yet.

Liverpool’s No.8 was perhaps the most impressive player from the 1-0 loss on Sunday, but it wasn’t enough to impact the result. Time will tell, but fans should keep their patience with the duo.

Confidence is at an all-time low

The Reds not believing in themselves isn’t new, but losses to Chelsea, Manchester City and Leicester can be chalked up as just one of those things – they’re decent teams, beating them shouldn’t be taken for granted.

But losing to Fulham in the way Liverpool did is nothing short of a disgrace. With the ongoing form as context, the players should have treated the clash like a cup final.

As soon as the Londoners took the lead, heads dropped all over the pitch and the Premier League champions didn’t ever look like getting the equaliser. That needs to change — and fast.

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