Robbie Fowler has admitted that Liverpool have ‘real problems’ following their slow start to the new campaign.
The Reds have won just two of their opening six Premier League games this term and were embarrassed 4-1 by Napoli in their opening Champions League group stage clash on Wednesday.
Jurgen Klopp does currently have a number of players out through injury at the moment but that is something that the club should have prepared for according to the Liverpool legend.
“It looks like Liverpool have some real problems, there’s no doubt about that, and no hiding from it either,” Fowler wrote in his column for The Mirror (via the Liverpool Echo).
“They were a few minutes away from the title, until Villa collapsed at the Etihad. They were by far the better team in the Champions League final, against a Real Madrid side who were clearly fearful of Liverpool, and astonished that they had won. Now, seven games into a new season they’re finished as a force? It doesn’t happen like that. Great teams do decline, but it’s over years, not days.
“So you have to look at other issues, and the chief amongst them is injuries. I’m not saying having four midfielders injured is an excuse, I’m saying Liverpool made an error in not planning for those injuries. They made the big mistake of thinking numbers meant quality, but that’s not always the case when you look at the profile of those making up the numbers. Jurgen Klopp said nine was enough in his midfield and it was last season.
“But was it this time when you have players in Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and Thiago with a history of injuries, and then Jordan Henderson and James Milner who have suffered fairly regular muscle injuries over the past couple of years? That leaves them with three kids and Fabinho for his midfield, which isn’t enough. All three kids are good players, but they’re not yet elite players.”
Liverpool splashed £64m on Benfica striker Darwin Nunez earlier this summer and Reds fans are yet to see the best of the Uruguayan despite him scoring and registering an assist on his Premier League debut.
Fowler believes the 23-year-old should be afforded time to carry on ‘developing’ and insists that the striker should not be compared to Sadio Mane who left for Bayern Munich ahead of the new campaign.
Despite providing a number of potential reasons behind his former side’s poor showings of late, the 47-year-old is as bemused as most supporters as to why the Anfield outfit have suffered such a rapid downturn in performance levels.
“I’d also say that applies to Darwin Nunez too, who is still young, and still developing, so it’s unfair to say he has to be an instant replacement for Sadio Mane,” Fowler added. “But that still doesn’t explain the total lack of structure against Napoli, of shape and discipline. I’ve never seen a Klopp team that was so open, that wasn’t compact in any way in the defensive transition.
“This may sound so simple that it seems I’m just talking nonsense, but the whole idea of staying as compact as possible in defence is one of the principles of play, it is one of the fundamental building blocks of football. If you don’t have it, you don’t win. What’s the opposite of compact? Whatever it is, that’s what Liverpool have been so often this season. Why? Well it seemed as though Klopp didn’t know on Wednesday.
“But the clue seems to be in their running stats. Less distance covered than every opponent so far this season, less intense runs, less sprints. Why? It’s not that they suddenly can’t run, that’s far too simplistic. Maybe Klopp has decided to try and control games, run less to see them through a ridiculous season with a World Cup in the middle. But that isn’t working because he doesn’t have his midfield controllers in Thiago, Naby Keita and Curtis Jones.
Fowler continued: “Maybe it’s even simpler than that. Maybe it’s the shortened summer and the training periods they had after a long season. Perhaps they tried to do too much fitness in too short a space of time, or even not enough. That would explain the injuries either way.
“It could also explain the lack of intensity, which then leads to a load of other small problems, which all came home to roost in Naples. The good news though, that’s a temporary problem.
“With players back he can rotate, get in fresher legs, rest older players and the injury prone, take younger players out to allow them to develop at a better pace, allow Nunez the chance to settle properly into the team, and most importantly, rediscover their shape and intensity.
“As I say. Simple! What is actually simple though, is when these bad moments come, you ensure you’re hard to beat. Liverpool haven’t been that, and Klopp now has to deliver that as a minimum by going back to his basics.”
Thiago Alcantara, who has been missing since the opening day draw against Fulham with a hamstring injury, returned to action and performed well for half an hour in Naples on Wednesday.
With the Spaniard in the side we appear to have a lot more control over games and his counter pressing ability is up there with the best in world football.
Klopp has claimed his side need to reinvent themselves against Ajax on Tuesday at Anfield, but that is easier said than done.
Except from Alisson, Luis Diaz and Harvey Elliott, you’d have no complaints if Klopp named a completely different starting XI against the Amsterdam outfit next week but we have faith in the players that they will provide a reaction.
It’s certainly a strange phase that the side are going through at the moment but if supporters bring the atmosphere to Anfield on Tuesday and the lads perform to the best of their ability, there’s no reason why we can’t earn three points and regain some confidence.
I’ll say it again this seasons injuries will recur and overlap in midfield definitely. Madness not to have brought in fresh quality legs
Last seasons 63 games has taken its toll. Just need to get CL qualification and be thankful