WHY KLOPP’S THREE AMIGOS ARE MISFIRING
LIVERPOOL have earned a reputation under Jurgen Klopp for playing blistering football but, as the season approaches its crucial point, the fizz is missing.
Three draws in the last four Premier League games, coupled with a goalless stalemate with Bayern Munich in the Champions League, have left many wondering whether Klopp has the firepower to keep the menacing presence of Manchester City at bay.
With defining games against Watford and Everton in the next five days, the need for Liverpool to recapture their sparkle is evident. Sportsmail assesses why one of the most feared attacks in Europe is currently misfiring.
JUST TOO PREDICTABLE?
LIVERPOOL have it in their locker to win matches with attacking blitzkriegs, especially if their opponents leave space in behind for Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah to exploit, but when teams sit back — as Manchester United did — there are issues.
Liverpool made 521 passes at Old Trafford but not one was slid in between United’s defenders to get them turning, the kind Philippe Coutinho would make. Yes, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team were organised but when the play is in front of you, it isn’t the biggest challenge for a back four.
It is a sign of how concerned teams are that they want to build walls to block Liverpool but there was a feeling amongst Klopp’s players as they trooped back to the team coach that they had been too respectful to the teams they had faced.
‘We need to get used to teams doing that now,’ said left back Andrew Robertson. ‘ I think something we are struggling with is that we need to start respecting ourselves. These teams are showing us the respect and we need to use that as a positive.
‘United showed us the respect of sitting back and being a bit more defensive than they have been since (Solskjaer) took over. We need to use that as a positive rather than a negative. A point at Old Trafford is never bad but there are things we need to work on.’
FRONT THREE LOSE FIZZ
SALAh, Mane and Firmino had a combined tally of 57 Premier League goals last season. After 27 matches their haul stands at 38, but since the turn of the year they have looked like individuals rather than the cohesive unit that ran so many defences ragged.
OPTA statistics show that the numbers are not what they should be. They are going longer between goals, having fewer shots per game and not hitting the target as frequently as they did in 2017-18. If that continues, sitting top of the table on February 26 will mean nothing.
Most worrying for Klopp will be the ankle injury Firmino sustained against United that left him on crutches. The Brazilian had a scan yesterday in Liverpool and will miss tomorrow night’s clash with Watford. he is also doubtful for Sunday’s Merseyside derby.
Firmino’s fortitude is such that he could easily play through the pain at Goodison Park, but he is such a key part of making the team tick — when he sparkles, Liverpool flourish — that Klopp will be fretting about his absence.
GOAL-SHY SUPPORT ACT
IT IS easy to get wrapped up in the idea that Liverpool cannot hold a candle to Manchester City in terms of firepower, but consider this: both teams have had 13 players score in the Premier League and the leading scorer for both teams (Salah and Sergio Aguero) has 17 goals. Liverpool need more goals from midfield — Jordan henderson, Fabinho, Gini Wijnaldum, Naby Keita and James Milner have six goals between them. David Silva has that many alone — but do not expect that to change down the stretch. Take the example of henderson. he has not scored for 60 matches, a run that dates back to September 2017. Liverpool’s captain can be a threat — four goals and seven assists in the 2014 title challenge proves that — but Klopp (left) has placed a specific demand on him and does not want him charging forward.
More concerning are Keita’s numbers. The £52.5m signing from Leipzig has only produced one assist and created six chances in 19 Premier League games. That has to improve in the coming weeks. Sentiments that apply to the team as a whole.
But the picture isn’t as bleak as some would imagine. As Robertson pointed out: ‘If you’d offered everyone connected to Liverpool being a point clear in February, everybody would have taken it. And if we win every game, we will win the league. Easy isn’t it?!’