A look at why Liverpool have had a January to forget.
After a blistering start to the campaign, Liverpool and manager Jurgen Klopp have been slowed by difficult losses and injury woes. Down 1-0 on aggregate, the Reds were eliminated from the EFL Cup on Wednesday evening at home against Southampton by the exact same score from the first leg.
Premier League form has suffered as well, as Liverpool have yet to earn a victory in 2017 (0-2-1). Klopp’s high-press system and frenetic style of play can be extremely effective, but has not yielded the same positive results as of late.
Whenever a football club goes through a period such as this, there are always a variety of elements at work.
We take a look at why Liverpool are struggling, and why it needs to change sooner rather than later.
A change in approach without Mane
Much has been made of forward Sadio Mane’s absence for Liverpool this month, and it certainly has had a part to play in their poor form. With the striker participating in the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal and Philippe Coutinho still working his way back to full fitness, the Reds have sorely missed pace and skill in the attack.
Jurgen Klopp’s “gegenpressing” requires speed at the top of the line-up to fully flourish, and without Mane the team has changed some its approach in various matches.
Normally waiting for their moment to pounce, Liverpool found themselves playing with more possession and requiring more passing against Swansea City. With so much time on the ball, more should have been expected. But this style does not suit the Reds.
A similar issue arose against Southampton on Wednesday. Both matches saw Liverpool with more than seventy percent of the possession, but it did not translate into a victory. Yes, Fraser Forster required a miraculous save to keep Liverpool from scoring on Wednesday night. But missing Sadio Mane’s abilities are certainly not ideal and his return is highly anticipated.
Defensive problems
The defensive back-line have also not been in top gear recently, making positive results even more elusive. Nathaniel Clyne, Ragnar Klavan and Dejan Lovren all will need to improve upon their performances against Southampton.
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The match against Swansea brought about similar frustrations. An opening goal allowed from a corner-kick and service into the penalty area on the second caused the Liverpool defence fits. A more organised and disciplined line in front of goalkeeper Simon Mignolet will help the Belgian international’s form as well.
A weakened attack paired with a troubled defence is a dangerous combination at the moment for Liverpool. Currently sitting fourth in the Premier League table but ten points back of leaders Chelsea, Jurgen Klopp will need improvements to materialise quickly.
Fixture fatigue
Few Premier League clubs have been as busy as Liverpool in 2017. Matches in the league, FA Cup and EFL Cup have all converged on Liverpool in a difficult manner.
The two-leg series in the EFL Cup semi-finals and an FA Cup replay needed to defeat Plymouth Argyle dug into the squad’s fitness levels.
With their FA Cup fourth-round encounter against Wolverhampton on Saturday, future rest and recovery will certainly be an element that can assist results.
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Liverpool have been struggling across all competitions recently. But with Sadio Mane’s return on the cards and a busy time in the calendar closing, manager Jurgen Klopp should be able to bring about more victories.