Barely six weeks ago, Jurgen Klopp was the toast of the football world – Liverpool was playing exciting free-flowing football, they sat on top of the league, and the Reds were good value to outscore even the most formidable opponents.

But the momentum appears to have slowed down in recent weeks. Half of Liverpool’s famed attacking quartet – the tireless Adam Lallana and the brilliant Phillipe Coutinho – that ran riot against the likes of Leicester City, Crystal Palace and Watford, have missed several games with injury. The team’s most natural finisher, Daniel Sturridge, still struggles with woeful luck when it comes to fitness and the young Danny Ings is already out for the season. After a few commanding displays at the heart of defence, Cameroon centre back Joel Matip has also faced a spell on the sidelines.

Add to this Senegal international Sadio Mane’s imminent departure for the African Cup of Nations in January and it is clear that the Klopp has a problem on his hands.

A threadbare squad

With no European distraction this season, Liverpool’s limited squad should have been strong enough to tackle domestic challenges, but injuries have had a considerable impact on the results. The Reds spectacularly threw away a 1-3 lead away at Bournemouth to lose 4-3 at the beginning of December, and followed it up with a tame draw to West Ham United who were 17th in the table when that match took place.

While Lallana is back at the heart of Klopp’s Gegenpress – a unique tactic that involves regaining possession immediately after losing the ball – the team is missing Coutinho’s flair, Roberto Firmino’s form and the defensive solidity offered by Matip. It is hardly a wonder that the team took 94 minutes to score and win against their Merseyside rivals Everton last Monday.

In the meanwhile, Chelsea has continued its outstanding streak of 11 straight wins, leapfrogging Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal to claim a six-point lead at the summit of the Premier League.

Busy festive season

Unlike the rest of Europe, which takes a 20-30 day-long winter break, the December festive period in England is frantic with the matches coming thick and fast. The Reds will host Stoke City and Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City at home before travelling to Sunderland within a span of just seven days.

The reduced recovery time between games is bound to take a toll on teams, and this is the time when fringe players need to step up. Perhaps it is the exceptional standards set by Klopp’s preferred starting XI that makes it difficult to match, but Liverpool’s bench comprising Lucas Leiva, Alberto Moreno, and some talented but raw youngsters has not entirely convinced the manager or the fans.

The team is bound to be rejuvenated with the return of Coutinho around the end of the year, but with deficiencies elsewhere it is perhaps good that the transfer market window opens in January.

Opening the door in January

The January transfer window is a month-long mid-season period during the football calendar when clubs can negotiate the transfer of players from other clubs to their own. This is seen as the ideal time to bring in replacements for players that have either lost form or face lengthy spells out with injury.

Some football managers, including the likes of Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger and former Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini, have criticised this transfer window format, calling it “unfair”, but others prefer to use this time to boost their squads for the second half of the campaign.

Traditionally, Liverpool has used this period to regulate their squads, having added stars like Sturridge, Coutinho and current Barcelona talisman Luis Suarez over the last few windows. But there is hardly a guarantee of value during this period as is evident from the signings of Andy Carroll from Newcastle United and Chelsea’s signing of Fernando Torres who was their No. 9 in the January of 2011.

Media speculation

It has been rumoured that Mane’s potential month-long absence has had Klopp draw up a list of attacking targets including Borussia Dortmund’s American teenager Christian Pulisic, Spartak Moscow winger Quincy Promes and Iranian striker Sardar Azmoun. While Pulisic has worked with Klopp at Westfalenstadion before, it would perhaps take an extraordinary transfer fee for the Bundesliga giants to sell one of their hottest prospects.

Goalkeeping debacles and general defensive frailties have continued to haunt Liverpool this season, with young keeper Loris Karius in particular facing criticism for his performances from pundits. While it is unclear if the Liverpool hierarchy will bring in another keeper so soon, the media is having a field day linking the likes of Kasper Schmeichel and Joe Hart.

Dejan Lovren has shown glimpses of solidity in recent weeks, but Lucas Leiva and Ragner Klavan deputising in defence have been far from impressive, leading to speculation that Liverpool may move for a CB too.

Liverpool: The road ahead

Klopp has previously said he prefers to coach players over making star signings. And few had heard of Robert Lewandowski, Ilkay Gundogan, Mats Hummels or Shinji Kagawa before they signed for Klopp’s exciting Dortmund side.

But as we enter the second half of the season, and as rivals’ struggle with indifferent form, it is becoming clear that Liverpool needs to fill the gaps – and fill them fast – if they are to go on and win their maiden Premier League title.

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