Liverpool performance is currently in the spotlight of football observers and their fans. The attention was not due to his brilliant performance but because of his slump in the Premier League. Their achievements in the Premier League competition until their 30th match are still in the 8th place standings with 43 points.
Various reasons were put forward as the cause of the decline in Liverpool’s achievements this year. Many say it’s due to Reds’ back line injury. Virgil van Dijk was badly injured when he was hit by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in the Merseyside derby last October 17, 2020. Since then Van Dijk had to pull over until the end of the competition.
Then this hurricane of injuries continued with his tandem injuries, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip. Hence, Liverpool lost real strength at the back. Since then, the performance of Juergen Klopp’s squad has fluctuated and even recently continued to decline.
Can injuries be the reason for Liverpool’s declining achievements? According to injury data released by Premierleague.com (8/3/21), Liverpool have lost 1,029 days due to injuries this season. So the current injury crisis has contributed significantly according to the data. But it is also worth highlighting the lack of depth in the squad.
Dependence on key players and on style of play is very strong for Juergen Klopp’s squad. The key player has become a very serious obstacle when he cannot play because of a serious injury, for example his dependence on Virgil van Dijk.
It is even more interesting to watch when there is an intriguing question whether Liverpool’s weakness in their performance is due to their dull attack? Data recorded from the official Premierleague website shows Liverpool’s scoring results have decreased by 26.6 percent. Their attackers have only contributed 45.6 percent fewer points for this season’s competition.
Liverpool scored 47 goals, with Mohamed Salah scoring 17 goals, Sadio Mane 7 goals, Firmino 6 goals, Diogo Jota 5 goals, Wijnaldum 2 goals and 7 goals scored by 7 other players, 1 goal each. The data and facts speak completely. The Liverpool attackers only rely on Mohamed Salah, Firmino and Sadio Mane. There is a Diogo Jota as a coating. But the rest, they are not able to do much for other figures outside the Reds’ trio.
Moreover, it is connected with the crisis on the central defender which lies in the duo of Fabinho and Jordan Hendeson. This duo who has been the motor and midfield creator in supporting the attacks of the trio of Mo Salah, Firmino and Sadio Mane, is now given the burden of being a center-back.
Juergen Klopp has a tough task in dealing with this technical problem. In addition, non-technical problems related to the mental collapse of the team. This year’s season has confirmed Liverpool releasing the title they won last year. They are now fighting for a close position in the Champions League zone. Is it capable? Only Klopp can answer that with the Reds squad.
