Moment of truth arrives for Liverpool’s defence

A brilliant strike force will win plenty of games and admirers but titles are decided on a team’s strength at the other end of the pitch

In his first game as Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp secured a goalless draw at Tottenham Hotspur. Liverpool have failed to keep a clean sheet in the 12 away league fixtures against the “big six” since. For all the plaudits for the club’s improved defence – most of them warranted, given recent performances – the moments of truth beckon.

We will soon know how equipped their defence is to sustain a title challenge.

As well as today’s trip to face Spurs at Wembley – a venue where Klopp’s team were humbled 4-1 a year ago – Liverpool head to Stamford Bridge, Napoli and Paris soon. Although Liverpool are getting better, it is too early to judge how good they are at the toughest away grounds.

Last season, they conceded 15 goals in five away games at top-six rivals, including nine in two games at Manchester City and Tottenham. That return is never going to maintain a title bid.

I know many will counter this and say those two fixtures preceded the arrival of Virgil van Dijk, as well as an expensive keeper. Van Dijk has shone against the majority of Premier League sides since he joined in January. But we still cannot ignore the fact that, with Van Dijk on board, Liverpool were beaten at Manchester United and Chelsea, and, even in victory against Roma in the Champions League semifinal, the defence conceded four in the second leg.

That is why – despite being so early into the season – the next sequence of games could have a major influence on the rest of the campaign. It would not be the end of the world for either side if they lost at Wembley today, but it would send a positive message to win. Spurs could be savouring victories over Manchester United and Liverpool. Should Liverpool emerge unbeaten – or still in a commanding position at the top of the league – over the next few weeks, the extensive praise for their defence would be more justified.

At Anfield, the recent record is impressive. No visitors have scored a league goal there since February. As a defender, I have always believed it was away games where you earned your money. My attitude before an Anfield game was basically: “Make sure you do not make any stupid mistakes.” A Liverpool player knows that, at home, his team will be playing 90 per cent of a match in the opposition half, the visiting side waiting for counter-attacks and set-pieces.

“You can’t win us the game as a defender, but you can lose us it,” was how Rafa Benitez used to put it.

It is a different match on the road, particularly against those competing for a Champions League place, or when playing in Europe.

There are places where I knew I had to play well. Mentally, I would be preparing myself for days before those trips, knowing what was in store. I would not be able to switch off once in 90 minutes, otherwise top-class strikers would punish any error.

I rate the clean sheets secured in stadiums such as the Nou Camp, San Siro and Bernabeu among the highlights of my career.

These are the nights when the pressure is incessant – teams capable of pinning you into your own half for long periods. If you keep a clean sheet in those games, there is a greater sense of accomplishment. You know you have worked for it.

It is a long time since Liverpool have looked defensively sound in this type of environment. That is where they still have more to prove. This season, they have looked more solid against Brighton, Crystal Palace and Leicester, getting the job done without being at their sharpest.

“Everyone knows that when we are not brilliant, we usually lose,” Klopp said about his team after the Palace win, recognising this had to change. He knows more severe tests are coming.

In fairness, as hard to beat as the best teams I played in were, it is tougher being a Liverpool defender now than under Benitez and Gerard Houllier.

Not only did we have great defenders, but specialist defensive midfielders, such as Didi Hamann and Javier Mascherano. We played possession football, but not to the same extent as Klopp’s Liverpool. We did not play every game on the front foot.

The modern centre-back at an elite Champions League club needs to multi-task, be capable of playing a high line with the pace and strength to regularly deal with one-onone situations. Full-backs no longer stay deep to assist centre-backs. They are judged on the number of crosses they make, not block. There is less central-midfield protection with the team pressing so high up the pitch.

So many

Liverpool games in the