Liverpool’s defence is languishing. A slight dip in form or a long-term issue?

When Virgil van Dijk returned from a serious knee injury, it seemed that The Reds defence would be rock solid again. In addition, during the summer transfer window, the club strengthened the stopper ranks with Ibrahima Konaté. The English club now has 4 quality stoppers and also excellent flankers in the form of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson. They are backed up by top goalkeeper Alisson. Still, Liverpool’s defensive line is creaking, why?

Good old van Dijk is back, isn’t he?

Van Dijk’s injury defined Liverpool’s last season. The Dutch stopper seriously injured his knee in a game against Everton last October and that ended the season for him.

One of the best stoppers of today had to undergo surgery and subsequently underwent a challenging rehabilitation. Liverpool were half as good without him, as evidenced by the final 3rd place in the table, which practically amounted to a miracle.

However, Van Dijk returned earlier than expected and was as ready as possible for the new season. However, it was only the sharp games that could show how he really was.

After such a severe and long injury, virtually no player would be able to return immediately in top form. However, it is clear that there is a difference between van Dijk before and after the injury. At the very least, he has lost speed. Before, practically no player could outsprint him, now it is quite common.

But the far bigger problem is his lack of focus in personal fights. Previously his main asset, now he’s more of a “weakling”. Van Dijk doesn’t go into fights at 100%, as if he’s afraid that something might happen.

These lines are confirmed by Whoscored, which gave him a 7.05 rating for his performance so far, which is the 11th best of the team. Previously, the Dutch giant was in the top three with a rating of around 8, which is now only achieved by Salah.

In doing so, he should be perfectly fine health-wise. And that’s not a good sign. Van Dijk’s performance will certainly go up, but it’s quite possible that he will never be the rock he was before that unfortunate moment.

Big sickness in the midfield. Wijnaldum is missing more than it might seem

Georginio Wijnaldum left the club last June when his current contract expired. He failed to agree a contract extension with Liverpool management and signed for French side PSG as a free agent. The English club did not replace him with anyone, which was obviously not the right solution.

Liverpool are struggling with a lot of injuries. The midfield in particular is suffering from a narrow squad. Thiago has only just returned from injury, the promising Elliot will be out for half a year, Keita’s health is very poor, Jones is also on sick leave and Oxlade-Chamberlain is not performing ideally. So Klopp doesn’t have much choice now, he has to play with what he has available.

Wijnaldum has been a great player for Liverpool’s system of play. A huge workhorse with great ball coverage and also strong in personal duels. Plus injuries have eluded him, playing 50 games a season hasn’t been a problem for him.

Liverpool don’t have a player like that except Fabinho. The Reds’ midfield is not as compact as it once was, often breaking down. And the defence in particular is paying the price, as they are under much more pressure from their opponents.

A mediocre Robertson, a chance for Tsimikas?

Andrew Robertson has been a long-term mainstay for the club. He is rightly regarded as the best left-back in the world. He has been proving his undeniable quality for several years now. He excels both forwards and backwards. He is a player who will do his absolute best for the success of his team. At the same time, he can also contribute to the team’s attacking efforts (during the 2018/19 PL championship season, he notched up a total of 12 goal assists).

Robertson is only human, too, though. Even players of his quality will be affected by a decline in form. In previous seasons this hasn’t been the case much, only in the current season it has. However, it is not surprising since he has been overworked in recent seasons.

He is now practically zero in offense, his centers are very inaccurate, he is not even sovereign in defense. He needs to sit down for a few games and regain his energy. His substitute Tsimikas, who is in great form, is waiting for his chance. He’s certainly better now. If Klopp gives him more opportunities to shine, it will only be good for the club’s wellbeing.

Liverpool have big problems against teams playing on the counter-attack

The Reds defence has received a total of 11 goals in the current Premier League season. 7 of them have come after counter-attacks from the opposition (Brentford, Brighton, Manchester City and West Ham). These numbers confirm that the midfield of Fabinho and co. is not working as it should. It often breaks down and fails to stop quick counter attacks from opponents, which is a big problem. Most of the teams that face Liverpool play on the break.

So is the shaky defence just a momentary thing or will it play like this all season? Van Dijk’s performance will go up, Robertson will return to form soon. However, without a well-functioning midfield, Liverpool’s defence cannot be as solid as it has been in previous years.

Klopp and co still have plenty of time plus the January transfer window to turn this weakness into a weapon. If they can’t do that, they will have a very difficult time winning a major trophy. As the famous football saying goes

Source: Twitter, WhoScored