Five Solutions For Liverpool’s Alarming Drop In Form

The nature of Liverpool’s three losses against Atletico Madrid, Watford and Chelsea will be a major concern for manager Jurgen Klopp.

The Reds are known for breaking down even the most stubborn of defences but they failed to get on the scoresheet in these defeats.

On top of that, the defence has begun to look rather shaky in recent weeks, and Dejan Lovren cannot be blamed for the goals that were conceded at Chelsea, and for that matter, in the win versus West Ham.

So what can be done? Press the “next page” as we look at five solutions for Liverpool’s loss of form.

Switch Up The Forward Line

The deadly front three has been rather flat recently. They have become far more predictable in their movements and easier to defend against as a result. The Reds managed just one shot on target against Watford last weekend.

In the past, Jurgen Klopp has opted to change things up by playing Salah through the middle, and that may well be worth considering to see if the switch can have the desired impact.

Milner Needs To Play

Fabinho’s drop off in form has been concerning but one of the key issues is that he doesn’t have any natural defensive midfielders playing alongside him currently.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita and to a lesser extent Georginio Wijnaldum don’t have defensive instincts, and in the absence of Jordan Henderson, James Milner’s reintroduction to the side is vital. His leadership qualities, combined with his ability to snuff out danger have been missed.

Get Matip Back

Dejan Lovren showed against Watford why he can’t be trusted to play on a consistent basis. He disturbs teammates around him and consistently makes the wrong decisions.

In the FA Cup defeat versus Chelsea, Joe Gomez also showed signs of fatigue and a concerning drop off in his form. If Joel Matip has returned to full fitness, the 28-year-old deserves to be recalled against Bournemouth this weekend.

Revive The Gegenpress

Teams have worked out how to play on the counter-attack against Liverpool, and despite having the large share of possession against Watford, the Hornets had double the amount of shots the Reds’ had.

Increasing the tempo and closing down attacks at their source through counter-pressing has all but gone out of Liverpool’s game, and they need to get back to basics and start pressurising their opponents into mistakes once again.

Vary Attacks

Liverpool have relied on the long ball and crosses to create goalscoring opportunities this season. This is down to the strengths of the players available, such as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mo Salah.

However, it has become apparent that teams are becoming wise to the tactic, doubling up in wide areas while sitting in a low block to prevent any attacks through the middle. Variation is key to breaking down these types of defensive lines, and Klopp must begin to examine new ways to attack opponents.

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