Klopp's Fading Empire: The Real Rot Behind Liverpool's Lost Season
Remember last season? Liverpool, playing for a quadruple, pushing Manchester City to the final whistle for the Premier League title, winning two domestic cups. That team felt invincible. Now, after a limp 2-1 FA Cup defeat to Brighton, and sitting ninth in the league table, 10 points off the top four, it’s clear that team is gone. And it’s not just a blip. This isn't a bad patch; this is something deeper.
The biggest issue? The midfield. Look, we can talk about Trent Alexander-Arnold's defensive lapses or Virgil van Dijk not being the same without a reliable partner. But the engine room has completely broken down. Fabinho, once the premier defensive midfielder in England, looks lost. He's been dribbled past more often this season (1.5 times per 90 minutes) than in any of his previous Liverpool campaigns. Thiago Alcântara, for all his beauty on the ball, can't cover ground like he used to, and Naby Keïta or Jordan Henderson just aren’t consistently delivering. Against Brighton on January 29th, Pascal Groß and Alexis Mac Allister ran rings around them. Brighton's midfield completed 90% of their passes, constantly finding space between Liverpool's lines.
**The Pressing Problem**
Jürgen Klopp's entire philosophy hinges on the gegenpress, right? Win the ball high, suffocate opponents. But this season, the numbers tell a brutal story. Liverpool's successful pressures per 90 minutes have dropped from 33.7 last season to 28.9 this term. That’s a significant dip. Teams are just playing through them too easily. The intensity isn't there, and that starts from the front. Mohamed Salah, while still scoring some goals (7 in the league), isn't tracking back with the same ferocity he once did. Darwin Núñez, for all his chaotic energy, isn't a natural presser like Roberto Firmino was in his prime. And Cody Gakpo, still finding his feet, can’t fix this overnight.
Here’s the thing: age has caught up in key areas, and the club didn't react fast enough. Henderson is 32. Fabinho is 29 and looks 35. James Milner is 37. You can't run a high-octane system with an aging core and expect the same output. It's like trying to win a Formula 1 race with a car full of bald tires. The wheels are spinning, but there’s no traction. And the injuries, especially to Luis Díaz and Diogo Jota, haven't helped. But even when those guys were fit, the midfield was still getting overrun.
**Klopp's Stubborn Streak**
My controversial take? Klopp has been too loyal. He’s stuck with players who are past their best or simply not good enough anymore. Naby Keïta arrived for £52 million in 2018 and has delivered one good spell. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, another high earner, is rarely fit and even less effective. Liverpool's transfer strategy in the midfield has been baffling. They needed a top-tier midfielder 18 months ago, and they didn't get one. They bought Aurélien Tchouaméni a plane ticket to Madrid. Now, they're paying the price. This isn't just bad luck; it’s a failure in recruitment at a crucial juncture.
Liverpool will finish outside the top six this season. Mark it down. Klopp needs a complete overhaul, not just a few tweaks, to get them back competing for titles.