Three Immediate Changes That Jurgen Klopp Should Make To Sort Liverpool’s Defence Out
Week in week out, it’s the same story from Liverpool as they continue to concede soft goals against their opposition. One moment they are in complete dominance and the next, they are in complete shambles.
It’s not like the best-attacking teams in the world cannot defend. Real Madrid manage to keep consistent clean sheets while completely destroying the opposition at the other end. Gone are the days when the likes of Jamie Carragher and Sami Hyypia were in complete control of the backline. Liverpool’s current defence is a shadow of these club legends.
Despite the quality attacking additions to the team, Jurgen Klopp did not really strengthen the area of utmost importance, which is the defence. The German manager has certainly gambled by choosing to wait for Virgil Van Dijk but his decision could significantly damage a season which has a lot of potential for the Reds.
However, it’s too late to make any new signings, at least until January. But there are other ways Klopp can fix his defence. Let’s take a look.
Joe Gomez at CB
The young English defender has made a brilliant recovery from ACL injury to get back into the Liverpool squad. Jurgen Klopp himself has had plenty of praise for the youngster especially about his dedication and his ability to learn.
Given the current scenario with Dejan Lovren, it makes complete sense to play Joe Gomez in Lovren’s role, partnering Joel Matip. Gomez had a few outings in the CB role in pre-season where he fared well. But he has mostly played in the right-back position during his time at Liverpool.
With Nathaniel Clyne currently out injured and the inexperienced Trent Alexander-Arnold being the only other natural option, Klopp playing Gomez at right-back makes complete sense. But, Liverpool desperately need a confidence boost at the back and the error-prone Dejan Lovren is definitely not doing any favours.
Klopp can make a temporary recovery from the defensive nightmare if he partners Gomez with Matip at the back. Trent Alexander-Arnold is more than capable of handling himself at right-back at least until Clyne returns.
Maintain Composure
This is one area in which Liverpool have time and again failed to manage. Maintaining composure is the key to winning games. But unfortunately for Liverpool, even with a significant lead on their hand, they often seem to falter despite the significant experience in the squad.
In the entire 90 minutes of a game, the Reds lose focus in the most important final 10 minutes of the game. Whether it is just the nerves or overconfidence, Klopp’s men just can’t keep a handle on themselves when the pressure piles on. Jurgen Klopp should look to teach side how to manage games, especially when they are in a winning position.
Install confidence
From the 5-0 defeat at the hands of Manchester City, Liverpool have definitely lost the confidence they had built from their Champions League qualification. Although it’s not an easy task, Liverpool should dust themselves off and approach every game with a winning mentality and leave no space for doubt.
After all, one cannot win anything in football without believing that they can. Confidence can do wonders to a side like Liverpool who can beat any team on their day.