Liverpool : Pinned At Both Ends

A Bewildered Klopp

All is not well at Anfield would be an understatement and being a Liverpool supporter over the years there is concern writ large as I write this post today. With more than half of the Premier League season gone by, Liverpool with a string of below par performances are placed  at the 10th position with hopes of a top 4 finish barely hanging by a thread. They are out of the FA Cup too. The pressure is severe on a bewildered Jurgen Klopp to get Liverpool out of the rut, but unfortunately the more they are trying, the more they are sinking as of now.

A Deathly Combination

When injuries combine with loss of form, the resultant is a deathly combination. This is exactly what has transpired at Liverpool until now this season. The problem becomes even more severe when this combination affects both the defence and the forward line of the team. Injuries to Ibrahima Konate had left a hole in the defence and when that was not enough the rock at the back Virgil Van Dyk suffered an injury too, keeping him out of action. The defence had turned light as an envelope  for Liverpool with replacements in the likes of Gomez and Matip being woefully out of form. This gaping hole in Liverpool’s armoury was for all to see and considering the standard of football in the EPL, Liverpool has paid heavily in its aftermath.

Toothless Attack

The attack also looks completely toothless . Firminho, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota sidelined with injuries, it was too much for Mo Salah to handle all the burden. He still is the highest scorer for Liverpool this season, but it would be fair to say that Mo Salah too is struggling. He is not his fluent self and is not finding the net with the frequency expected of him. The World Cup find Cody Gakpo transferred to Liverpool, is still finding his feat and is yet to create any impact of sorts. Though much was expected from Darwin Nunez, he has been found wanting . He has been missing more than scoring. Nunez is strong, has good speed but his ability to score is terribly inconsistent. Also a lacklustre Trent Alexander Arnold who was the toast of the team in the last two years, has made it worse for Liverpool.

Still Some Fight Left

With both the defence and the forward line struggling,  and the midfield not being enterprising enough, it is not surprising to find Liverpool in the situation it is today. They have been pinned at both ends. A lack of bench strength has also hit the club hard. Questions can  be raised on their recruitment of players over the past few years. However all is still not lost and we should derive hope from the  20/21 season. This is not a bad team and I am certain that there is still plenty of fight left in those Red jerseys.

The Goosebump Goal

The situation was somewhat similar in the 20/21 season, but a brilliant rearguard action by the Team pulled it through to the 3rd position. They finished the season on a high, winning their last 5 games and edged Chelsea by 2 points. In a crucial encounter against West Brom, Alisson Becker scored a brilliant header in stoppage time to earn a commendable victory. It was the  first goal by a goalkeeper in Liverpool’s history. That goal just gave me goosebumps. This is exactly what Liverpool is capable of. I am not writing them off yet. Their next match against Everton, who too are struggling but would be buoyed by their victory over Arsenal last week, is a critical encounter and a must win one. I have faith.

Reds… ‘ You’ll Never Walk Alone ‘

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Featured Image : Jurgen Klopp / pic courtesy Talk Sport