Graeme Souness believes Liverpool’s midfield is being bullied and explained that’s why his former side have experienced a sluggish start to the new campaign.
The FA Cup champions were stunned at Anfield last night as they were beaten 2-1 by Leeds United with the result leaving them ninth in the table having won just four of their opening 12 league games.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has admitted that ‘something’s not going right’ this season for the Reds but former Kop icon Souness believes he knows what the issue is.
“Liverpool are a country mile from what they were in the last few years,” he told talkSPORT.
“They don’t play with the same intensity. I think in many instances tonight, Leeds were more than a match for what Liverpool have been doing to teams for years.
“Liverpool used to bully teams, their midfield bullied teams. And now they’re being bullied.
“They still had enough chances to win the game, the man-of-the-match is a goalkeeper (Meslier) – that does tell the story.
“Liverpool are not like the team we have seen for the last five years. They just don’t have the same intensity. They don’t have it in their legs anymore.”
A lot of Liverpool fans were left frustrated in the summer when Jurgen Klopp failed to sign an elite midfielder.
Exciting youngster Fabio Carvalho joined from Fulham and Arthur Melo signed for the club on loan from Juventus on deadline day but many predicted that the club’s current midfield option were not strong enough to once again challenge on all four fronts as we did last season.
We still have a lot of quality in middle of the park but with players out of form and a number of injuries to contend with, we’ve struggled for consistency.
Harvey Elliott may be impressing this season as he continues to prove he’s got a promising career ahead of him, but we can’t rely on a 19-year-old to carry the side every week.
Souness sticks by his claim from the start of the campaign that saw him suggest that our current midfield options will not win the club big trophies this term.
He added: “I think when you look at the midfield. Thiago 31, Henderson 31, Fabinho 29. And after that you have Keita who is about 27, you have Oxlade-Chamberlain who is out and is injured at 29.
“You have Curtis Jones who is 21 and the other young player who started tonight Harvey Elliott is 19.
“Go back to start of the season, Jurgen said his midfield felt vulnerable because with the age group and the chances of injuries.
“We know it is a very hard league to play in and it’s a long nine months at times, so to expect the two young guys to come in and take you through most of the season is a big ask.
“I’ve said it since the start of the season, the midfield they have now is no longer the midfield that is going to win them the big trophies.”
Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham is repeatedly linked with a move to Merseyside but with him continuing to impress in both the Bundesliga and in the Champions League, we certainly aren’t the only club chasing the England international’s signature.
It’s going to be interesting to see if the club make a move for someone in January because at the moment it looks like they have no other option.