Rio Ferdinand claims Liverpool’s previously “untouchable” players have lost some of their aura in recent weeks.
The Reds’ Premier League campaign has got off to a patchy start, drawing four of their opening seven games and already finding themselves way off the pace. Their early Champions League form has also left a lot to be desired after they were thrashed by Napoli in the Group A opener.
Jurgen Klopp has recently admitted his players are suffering a crisis of confidence and come into their clash with Rangers at Anfield, having conceded four at home to Brighton last time out. And Ferdinand has suggested opposition teams are now lining up in front of the Kop believing they can get a result.
“It’s not the same scenario at the moment, they haven’t got the same rhythm in the way they’re playing,” Ferdinand said on BT Sport. “The confidence isn’t the same, there are players in there you thought were untouchable in terms of people being shoulder to shoulder in the tunnel.
“But at the moment, teams are saying ’they’re not in a good moment, this could be the time to play Liverpool ’. The players have to turn that around, for the last four, five years they have been the team with supreme confidence and it was a matter of when not if they would blow teams away.”
Klopp compared his side’s mental state to struggling Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo, but assured supporters they were doing all they could to fight through their issues.
"Do you think Cristiano Ronaldo at the moment is at the top of his confidence? It happens to all of us," Klopp said earlier this week. " Lionel Messi last season, pretty much the same. You have to take a step in the right direction and when you're ready, it's [confidence is] back. In individual sports, you can fight yourself through it. In team sport, you have to do it together. It can be more complicated."
Liverpool have named an attacking looking line up to take on the Gers in what will be the first ever competitive meeting between the two British heavyweights. Klopp has opted to start Darwin Nunez with the trio of Diogo Jota, Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz playing behind the big summer signing.
But the Liverpool manager has warned that his players will need to show intensity in the way they defend, having already shipped four goals on two occasions this season. On paper at least, the threat of Rangers appears less with the Scottish giants failing to score in their two Champions League matches so far this season.
Klopp added: "The problem we have is a brave way of defending. We need intensity and if we don't do that then it's a problem. We have to be more compact. Defending is an art, and it worked for us really well for a long time. But with it not working you realise you have to go back to the basics."
