AT the peak of their powers under Jurgen Klopp, the Liverpool team could be rung off by most fans from memory. Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson Becker, Andy Robertson, Sadio Mane and Georginio Wijnaldum were all mainstays who provided the consistency needed to deliver the club’s first-ever Premier League title.

It’s therefore understandable that Klopp feels loyalty to these players. They are Liverpool legends who have written their name into the folklore of the Anfield club. This season, though, Klopp’s loyalty has become a problem. It’s one of the things stopping Liverpool from evolving and staying competitive.

Liverpool have looked old this season. This is because they are old – at least, they’re older now than they were a few years ago when they could implement Klopp’s counter-pressing style without any issues. Now, the likes of Van Dijk, Salah and Henderson are into their 30s and Liverpool’s counter-pressing numbers have fallen off a cliff.

The midfield is the biggest area of concern. Injuries certainly haven’t helped Liverpool achieve any degree of consistency in the centre of the pitch this season, but a lack of midfield intensity has had a direct impact on the productivity of Klopp’s attack and the strength of his defence. The ripples emanate out from here.

Without the same levels of counter-pressing, Liverpool aren’t able to win the ball high up the pitch as frequently which denies their attack service and increases the pressure on their defence. Yet Klopp hasn’t done much at all to address this, instead standing by the ageing Thiago Alcantara and Henderson.

“I am loyal, I think everyone should be loyal, but I am not too loyal,” Klopp said when asked whether he is too faithful to his old favourites. “The problem is too complex. You have a good player who did a lot of good stuff in the past and then maybe, in your mind, you think: ‘That’s it for him now.’ If you can then go out and bring in another player to replace him then it makes sense from both sides to say: ‘Come on, it was a great time, see you later.’ If you cannot bring anybody in then you cannot take anyone out, that’s the situation.”

Klopp is right that Liverpool’s situation is a complex one. Other younger players like Alexander-Arnold and Robertson have also suffered a drop-off in their counter-pressing and actions per 90 minutes statistics this season when there is no reason for them to have regressed in this way. Liverpool’s problem might be an emotional one as well as a physical one.

There is, however, no denying this season represents the end of a cyle for the Merseyside club. This summer must mark the start of a rebuild with new midfielders desperately needed – Liverpool have been strongly linked with Jude Bellingham while Wolves’ Matheus Nunes is also believed to be a target.

For the time being, though, Klopp must do all he can to find out as much as possible about his squad before the end of the season. Young players like Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajcetic must be fully assessed and tested to determine their place in Liverpool’s long-term vision. The longer Klopp stands by his old favourites, the longer he puts off a rebuild.

2023 presents Liverpool with a crossroads in their recent history with Fenway Sports Group (FSG) also looking to sell the club. Klopp is best-placed to lead the rebuild of his squad, but the German coach must also recognise some of his own failings. Just because some of his squad are Liverpool legends doesn’t mean they deserve a place in the club’s future.