Burnley shocked Liverpool last night as they ended their 68 games unbeaten run at Anfield by a surprising 1-0 win. Liverpool Face A Massive Punch In The Face – Are They In Crisis?
Liverpool went into the game hoping for a much needed win that will keep the pressure on their rivals United for top spot. However, a rare and contreversial loss to Burnely ruined all of Klopp’s plans, as the reds risk going out of the top 4 if Everton and Tottenham win their games in hand.
Liverpool Current Form
The reds are struggling at the moment, having failed to win their last 5 games with 3 draws and 2 losses. However, what’s more alarming than that is the fact that they are scoreless in their last 4 games. For Liverpool fans that is a huge concern. You can lose games if you don’t play well, if luck was not on your side and for other reasons, but you have to score to be able to win. As simple as that.
Here is what Klopp had to say after the defeat yesterday:
“Look, how silly would that be if I sit here now, losing against Burnley, didn’t score for the last three or four games – I don’t know exactly – and now I talk about the title race? How silly would that be? It’s just we have to win football games – it was always like this. For this we have to score goals, there is no doubt about it. That’s what we have to change and have to do better. If things don’t work, you have to work harder, do the right things more often, longer and more consistent, all these kind of things. But not talking like it is an easy situation, it’s not. It shows a lot of things. It’s incredible how consistent the boys were but that was never something that anybody should have taken for granted because now we see they are all human beings, that’s how it is. And now I have to make clear about what we have to do in the right moments and then we will score goals again.”
Click here for the full interview.
What About The Title Race?
Jurgen admitted that they are no longer thinking about retaining the title: “We can’t imagine the title race at the moment.” Although Liverpool are just 6 points away from top at the halfway stage of the season, some might say it’s still early to say that. Here is Liverpool legend Souness giving his opinion on the situation:
Liverpool’s next 6 games are crucial, as they are set to face Tottenham, City and Leicester. If Klopp can manage to pull his team together and start a run, they might find themselves on top again. Will that be possible? We know that he is the best in the business when it comes to motivating players, and now he must prove it.
Bad Refereeing or Bad Luck?
This is not the first time Liverpool faced a controversial decision, especially when it comes to penalties and Mike Dean.
So what is it exactly? Are Liverpool fans right to think that there’s an “agenda” on their team this season? In addition to several no calls yesterday, some might mention the “Pickford & VVD” incident as the biggest of the season. VVD got injured, no penalty called, no red card on Pickford for a clear foul.
Also regarding yesterday, take a look below and try to really judge if that was a penalty or not:
Not to mention the handball as well, which VAR did not even look at!
A lot can be said regarding these calls, however, Liverpool will feel like they only have themselves to blame.
What Went Wrong For The Reds?
Everyone thought that Liverpool are favorites to keep their title after the 7-0 win at Palace last month. However, Klopp’s men have gone downhill since, specially offensively where they failed to score for the 4th straight game. What went wrong during that spin? And what can Klopp do to fix it?
Now some might say that the dip in form happened when Thiago returned to the squad. Let’s make something clear: This is not true, well at least in my personal opinion. Thiago runs the midfield and give Liverpool a much needed control, specially after dropping Fabinho to CB. So no matter how you interpert Thiago’s playing style, it does not clarify how bad the other players have been. Almost every key player seems out of form. TAA is not the player he was before the lockdown, Salah seems to have lost his mojo, Mane is not able to create anything and Firmino is not even trying anymore as he keeps wasting easy chances. So what should Klopp do?
In my personal opinion, here is what Klopp can actually do as a manager:
- Reinstill Confidence: With the absence of the fans, Jurgen have a bigger scope to cover in that area.
- Get Arnold back: Trent has been one of the best players, however this season it seems he is going through a difficult stretch. The Burnley game alone speaks for itself.
- Front Three: All of them are struggling at the moment. Sometimes, you have to accept the fact that the ball won’t go in. However, you have to put more work in, pressure the defenders, win back possessions, basically run more. Can Klopp wake them up from their slump?
Last Statement
Liverpool face a massive punch in the face – are they in crisis? It might be too early for a crisis talk. Nonetheless, there are some alarming issues that must be addressed immediately if they want to retain the title. That being said, Klopp still have a chance to get his side back up while proving to be a world class manager.
As for plan B, the best thing for the reds might be to focus on domestic cups and aim for a top 4 finish. They face United again on Sunday in the FA Cup, there is no better opportunity for them to begin their revival mission. Are they up for the task?
What do you think Liverpool fans? It might be one of the worst dip in forms you ever faced with Klopp. He’s surely worth standing behind him no?
Feel free to leave your comments and opinions.
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