Liverpool legend Graeme Souness has explained why he thinks his old club are a “mile off” the team they usually are - and has made a transfer claim.
The Reds recently suffered a heavy defeat to Napoli in the Champions League. Jurgen Klopp’s side lost 4-1 on Wednesday night, which marked the club’s second defeat of the season so far.
So far this term, Liverpool’s only wins have come against Bournemouth and Newcastle in the Premier League. They are currently in seventh place with nine points from a possible 18 on offer.
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Souness has given reasons why he thinks Liverpool aren’t performing at their best this term. The former Reds captain went on to express concerns about Mohamed Salah’s form since signing his new contract.
“You can talk to all the modern coaches and analysts you like, apply the latest buzz terminology and fill these sports pages with all the data you can lay your hands on — but the one non-negotiable part of winning football matches is being first to the ball,” wrote Souness, in the Mail Online .
“At the moment, Liverpool are not doing that. And that’s why they are a mile off the team we have known them to be in Jurgen Klopp’s time at the club.
“That intensity of being first to everything is the reason why they have become winners again. They and Manchester City are by far the best two teams in the country at doing this and no one else comes anywhere near their intensity. They can squeeze the life out of teams.
“But they have gone from a team that can hustle and exhaust an opponent, from the first minute to the last, to a team suddenly second to everything. In doing so they appear to be vulnerable to every attack.
“There are all sorts of reasons for this being offered by the people with the data and the big theories. They will tell you about the Liverpool high line. About Mo Salah not looking the same player he was. About Trent Alexander-Arnold appearing to jog back when two of Napoli’s goals went in, during that 4-1 defeat on Wednesday night. But Liverpool just don’t seem to have the same energy.
“I’ve certainly not been seeing the same Salah. He has signed the big contract he wanted and I really hope we are not seeing him getting semi into his armchair because of that.
“The need for intensity is a collective thing. It has always been that way, going back to my time as a player at the club. They like to call it ‘pressing’ now but when I was playing we just called it ‘closing down’. If one person is not doing it, the whole system breaks down and you might as well drop off and be a team that plays counter-attacking football.”
Souness went on to name the transfer that he thinks Liverpool need to complete in the near future. He also expressed a concern with the current dynamic of the squad in one area of the pitch.
“It’s certainly my view Liverpool need another battle-hardened, experienced midfielder at the core of their team, to pick the pass and capitalise on the movement of the strikers,” Souness said.
“Klopp said he didn’t need that big-name addition this summer. He listed the young players he says can step up and do a job for him. It’s good to hear that he has faith in lads such as Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones.
“That’s great news for every young player at Liverpool. But this is a hard and unforgiving environment we are talking about. It’s a big jump from midfielders like Thiago, who’s 31, Jordan Henderson, 32, and James Milner, 36, to those young ones.
“There’s no doubting the quality of Liverpool’s latest addition, Arthur Melo, but will he be able to deal with the intensity of the English game, given that Liverpool play games of cup final intensity every weekend and everyone always has to be at it?”
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