Robbie Savage has raised concerns over the ‘body language and desire’ of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool squad and questioned whether the Reds have ‘been worked out’.
The Merseysiders have had a far from convincing start to the season and suffered an embarrassing 4-1 defeat against Napoli in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Savage is now unsure whether last season’s FA Cup and League Cup winners will even finish in the top four this term.
“I said three weeks ago that Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool needed a rebuild, a reinvention. I got hammered for that, but it is true. Perhaps Jurgen reads the column!” Savage wrote in his column for the Mirror.
“I have watched their games, and see their midfield. I am a huge fan of Jurgen Klopp, but every team has a cycle. I wonder about the body language and desire.
“Klopp’s teams are supposed to play heavy metal football with intensity from back to front, and aggression. Against Napoli they were not right defensively. Even Virgil van Dijk. The positioning, the body language. The recovery runs are lethargic.”
Virgil van Dijk should not be singled out for his dismal showing and Savage is right to raise concerns about the performance of many of Klopp’s squad and our display in Naples was a real worry.
Many others were simply not good enough in Italy and Napoli were deserved winners.
“I ask: have Liverpool been worked out? That performance at Napoli was the worst half of football under Klopp,” Savage added. “The standards they have set are there to see. So is what they have achieved. They are one of the greatest Premier League teams.
“Something needs to be done quickly. Klopp is an unbelievable manager and I hugely admire him. But now he needs to call on all his managerial skill. It’s a fascinating test. The title is gone in my opinion already. Will they win the Champions League? Magical Anfield can get them over the line, but it’s tough.
“They played in every game they could last season, and now look lethargic other than 9-0 against Bournemouth. It’s a worry. When I say worry, the worry for Liverpool is staying in the top four. Man City will win it. Look at Arsenal, Chelsea refreshing, Spurs right in the mix, Man United winning their last four. Then you see Liverpool.
“I had them down for second in the league. Can we contemplate them really being outside the top four. It’s not a given. I hope they do because I love watching them in the Champions League but it will be tough.”
The one thing that you usually expect from a Liverpool side is hard work and commitment, but that is what the majority of our squad lacked on Wednesday.
Except from Harvey Elliott, Luis Diaz and Thiago Alcantara when he entered the fray on the hour mark, the rest of the players should be embarrassed with how they performed.
It was as if they weren’t interested in competing with the Serie A side – almost like they were treating the game as a pre-season friendly.
It would’ve been interesting to see whether Klopp got a reaction from his players against Wolves at Anfield tomorrow, but that game has of course been postponed following the passing of The Queen on Thursday.
At the moment it’s hard to argue against Savage’s claim that the ‘title is gone’, but it is only early days in the season and we have confidence that Klopp and co. can turn things around.
#Ep59 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Why are Liverpool so poor? The Napoli nightmare… & more!
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