Despite a strong start to the Premier League campaign, where Liverpool seemed unbeatable at home, difficult to play away, and perhaps the most breath-taking team in England, something has gone significantly wrong at the halfway stage of the season.
For all their attractive gameplay, the Reds appear to have run out of steam, struggling with exhaustion, indifferent form, tactical naivety and an inexplicable transfer policy. All of which has culminated in the worst string of results since the excitable Jurgen Klopp took over the reins of the club.
Before Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Wolves, who are currently 18th in the second rung of English football, Liverpool had been knocked out of the League Cup by Southampton. The Reds boasted of 72% possession in the second leg of that game, but struggled to break down a stubborn Saints defence, eventually succumbing to a 2-0 aggregate defeat.
And that has been a familiar story.
With no disrespect to Southampton or Swansea City, only two of Liverpool’s games in January could have been billed as clashes against direct rivals. And while they left Old Trafford with a point against Manchester United, the Reds have registered only one win– against League Two side Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup – in eight games during a difficult start to the New Year. They play league leaders Chelsea in the last game of the month on Wednesday.
One-dimensional tactics costing Klopp dear
The Reds aim to outplay opponents with Gegenpressing – a unique tactic that involves regaining possession immediately after losing the ball – and Klopp had outwitted the likes of Arsene Wenger, Claudio Ranieri, and Antonio Conte using this very tactic on their way to the summit of the league by September. But over the course of the season, teams have figured out how to negate this technique.
The likes of Southampton, Swansea and Sunderland have all managed to get results against the Anfield side in recent weeks. And they have all used variations of the same technique: Sit back, defend in numbers and slow the game down; offer little space to Liverpool’s tricky front three and strike on the counter when the Reds commit bodies in attack.
This is hardly unique. If your opponent is lightning-quick in attack, common sense says you impede them by slowing down the pace of the game. But the better teams find means to overcome these challenges. And so far, Klopp has shown little indication that his squad can cope.
When faced with teams parking the proverbial bus, the Reds are forced to play wide in anticipation of an opening. And they appear to be out of ideas when there are none. It is the lack of a Plan B that has Liverpool fans worried.
Tired and tested
Klopp’s all-action Gegenpressing requires his players to cover great distances to press their opponents into submission. And the statistics prove that.
Liverpool have covered 2,579.5 km in the Premier League this season, more than any other team. And this running is bound to leave the players exhausted. With little recovery time between games this January, it comes as no surprise that the tiredness is showing. Plenty of uncharacteristic stray passes, unnecessary tackles and hastiness have been on show in the Reds last few fixtures.
That is not all. Liverpool’s players have also dropped form at the most inopportune time. Injuries to stars like Philippe Coutinho and Joel Matip, meant fringe players like Daniel Sturridge, Emre Can and Ragnar Klavan had the chance to shine. But all three have been wasteful.
The usually dependable James Milner started the season as a revelation at left back, but he too has appeared jaded. Talented Belgian striker Divock Origi is inexperienced and it shows, while Dejan Lovren looks like he loses his head without the solid Matip beside him.
The absence of Senegal international Sadio Mane – the leading scorer at the club with nine goals – because of the African Cup of Nations has not helped the cause either.
Deep pockets but shallow squad
With 2015-‘16 revenues of £302 million, Liverpool were ranked the ninth richest football club in the world by accountancy firm Deloitte.
Yet, with the transfer window about to slam shut, the Reds have made a sum total of zero new signings. In fact, as recently as Friday, Klopp confirmed that there were no plans to add new signings this month.
This is particularly bizarre considering that the club is short of quality in a number of positions. At the very least, Liverpool should have anticipated the temporary absence of winger Sadio Mane and brought in cover.
With no natural replacement within the squad, Klopp has resorted to playing the tireless Adam Lallana in the front three and Emre Can besides Jordan Henderson in midfield. Liverpool has struggled to cope and the decline has been both stark and rapid.
The Reds did manage to tie down Brazilian Philippe Coutinho to a new long-term contract. But having seen former talisman Luis Suarez sign a new deal in 2013 – only to leave for Barcelona the following summer, fans have reason to be wary.
Still plenty to play for
Dumped out of the cups and ten points away from top spot, Klopp is bound to be disappointed after the early season promise shown by Liverpool. But he must now put the fixture congestion behind him and look to the future. With Chelsea visiting next, the Reds have their work cut out.
The chance of silverware seems to have gone begging, but if Liverpool are to make Champions League qualification, they need to find solutions quickly or face the ignominy of falling further behind their rivals.