Liverpool are getting it from all angles after reaching their worst loss tally in the Premier League in over a decade, and Graeme Souness thinks the players aren’t doing enough.
There are plenty of ways to approach criticising the Reds this season. Liverpool fans blame Arne Slot for much of the disappointment we have endured.
But Souness prefers to focus on those in the field of play, who he thinks aren’t putting in the necessary effort out of possession.
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That claim is backed up by the numbers, and according to the Liverpool legend, it’s where many of their problems stem from.
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Under Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool had a reputation across Europe as a relentless pressing machine.
There was a change in style when Slot came in, but they were still effective in the press when the game called for it.
This season, though, it has been a flaw of their play.
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He said on talkSPORT: “You know, when you’re talking about pushing up to the halfway line and holding a high line, you’re totally you can only do that if you’re totally… you think of Liverpool’s problems. You can only do that when the rest of the players in front of you are pressing the ball all the time and keeping their heads down, and Liverpool have not been very good at that this year.
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“So how many times have you seen people going straight down the middle. Look at Tottenham last weekend. A couple times, the ball was causing issues just straight down the middle with Gomez. So I would suggest a lot of the problem has been that midfield not hunting it down and and keeping opposition’s head down when they’re in possession.”
The midfield has looked short on legs all season, and losing engines like Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez doesn’t make it any easier.
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Pressing is a team exercise, and requires everyone to buy in. Liverpool have been beaten in distance covered in 27 out of their 31 Premier League games this campaign. Sure, being a possession-heavy side plays into it, but you can see with your eyes that we lack intensity.
Slot should still be under pressure for these performances, but the players could certainly be doing more as well.
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