ALMOST as soon as Virgil van Dijk hobbled off the pitch at Goodison Park back in October, speculation started to swirl over potential January targets to replace the Dutchman. Of course, Liverpool’s injuries woes at the back have only worsened since then, with Joe Gomez and Joel Matip also sidelined, but with the transfer window now open the opportunity is there for Jurgen Klopp to find a solution.

The discourse around Liverpool’s season has been dominated by the troubles they have experienced in defence with the Reds suffering on the pitch. While the Anfield club still sits at the top of the Premier League table at the time of writing, they are 16 points worse off than they were at the same stage of the season last term.

Liverpool have fallen significantly off their own pace, but not because of any injuries they have suffered in defence. Instead, it’s the Reds’ attack that is holding them back. The same attack that scored 85 times in 38 Premier League games last season is struggling to find its groove, illustrated most starkly by recent results.

Since smashing seven goals past Crystal Palace on December 19, Liverpool have found the net just once in their last three league outings against West Brom, Newcastle United and Southampton – all teams the defending Premier League champions were expected to comfortably sweep aside. 

The fast and furious football Liverpool have become renowned for under Klopp has been a little less fast and a little less furious this season. There have been far fewer jolting, surging attacks through the lines of transition. Last season, Liverpool generated 42 shots and 15 goals from ‘fast break’ attacks. This season, they have registered just 13 shots and two goals in this way. 

Liverpool points dropped in their title-winning campaign last season: 15

Liverpool points dropped after 17 games this season: 18 pic.twitter.com/Q5jJSgZcMy

— B/R Football (@brfootball) January 4, 2021

Klopp’s side have been laborious and ponderous in possession. Liverpool were previously the Premier League’s most diverse outfit in the way they could both cut opposition teams to shreds on the break and keep them at arm’s length through retention of the ball. The former quality hasn’t been so evident in the Reds’ game of late, though. They are easier to play against.

This is particularly puzzling because unlike in defence Liverpool’s attacking ranks have been relatively untouched by injury. Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah are ranked second, fourth and fifth for the most minutes played by a Liverpool player this season with Diogo Jota also making 17 appearances for his new club following a summer move from Wolves.

Van Dijk’s prolonged absence has stemmed a supply line into Liverpool’s forwards, with the Dutchman frequently used to angle long, diagonal passes into the chest of Salah in particular, but Fabinho is capable of playing such passes as a central defensive stand-in and yet the Reds have still been predictable. 

Excuses have been made regarding fixture congestion. Klopp has been vocal in his opposition to the TV schedule which has demanded Liverpool kick off at lunch time on Saturday having played in mid-week. But such excuses don’t wash at this particular time. Liverpool had an unprecedented eight days rest between their 7-0 win over Palace and their 1-1 home draw against West Brom and will have played just three games in 18 days by the time they face United this weekend. Klopp’s players should be better rested than most, yet that hasn’t been evident in their performances.

Some context should be applied to the difference between Liverpool last season and this. While Klopp and his players set an astonishing pace in terms of their results this season, winning 26 of their opening 27 league fixtures, a lot of late goals and moments of fighting spirit contributed to their unstoppable momentum. 

Those late goals and moments of fighting spirit have been fewer and further between this season and Liverpool don’t seem so invincible as a result. The Reds will welcome Manchester United to Anfield this weekend amid a 67-game unbeaten home run, but Klopp’s side haven’t appeared so vulnerable for quite some time. It has nothing to do with the defenders they are missing.