Many words have been used to describe the performance of Liverpool on the weekend against Tottenham Hotspur. Many of them are unprintable, but a recurring term has been “spineless”. The performance of the Reds lacked passion and energy. Yet, there is more to this than the idea that Liverpool required blood and thunder in their play. Do they also lack a spine to the team?
It is unfair to suggest that every great team that comes around has a great spine. However, the small quantity of these teams that don’t, proves the rule. To have a great side, you need a great spine. Liverpool on Saturday proved that they don’t have one, literally or figuratively.
The Spine
The spine of the team has traditionally been a goalkeeper, centre-back, midfielder and forward. They lead the team from strength, and are a presence on the field. In Liverpool’s starting 11 on Sunday, Simon Mignolet, Joel Matip, Jordan Henderson and Roberto Firmino filled those roles. It is hard to argue that any of these players are good enough to be the spine of a team that challenging for a Premier League title.
Goalkeeper
Simon Mignolet has shown a great improvement over the last year. After regaining his position as the Liverpool number 1, he has shown far greater consistency. In reality, however, he just about breaks into the top 10 goalkeepers in the Premier League. His quality does not meet the aspirations that Liverpool have and at 28 he should be reaching his peak. He is not good enough and needs replacing. He is not the biggest problem, however.
Centre-Back
The failure to have invested in a top-class centre-back in becoming more and more evident in how much it effects the side. The two defensive mistakes Dejan Lovren made against Spurs came as no surprise. The Croatian centre-back has never been able to replicate the promise he demonstrated for Southampton at Liverpool. He is a weak link who needs a strong partner next to him.
The problem for Liverpool is that Joel Matip, while skilled on the ball, is not the leader they crave. The pursuit of Virgil Van Dijk this summer surprised no one, but the refusal to move on from Van Dijk when Southampton refused to sell did. That failure to recruit a man to lead the backline now seems criminal and has already cost Liverpool precious points. It is vital for their future success that this role is filled in January.
Midfielder
The fact that Tottenham won the midfield battle without Victor Wanayama and Moussa Dembélé in the side was telling. Liverpool, with arguably their most combative midfield trio, were slow, weak and continuously second best. There was a lack of dynamism in the midfield and the side to side passing was contrasted by the quick decisive play of Tottenham.
Jordan Henderson is an admirable professional, but he lacks the creativity, awareness and aggression to play the number six role Klopp desires. The lack of any other serious candidate to lead from midfield leaves a huge hole in the centre of the park. It is noteworthy that the games that Liverpool have most struggled in are when the pressure has been applied to the midfield trio.
A top-quality midfielder needs to come in as soon as possible. Luckily, one is about to. Naby Keita will be joining Liverpool in the summer after agreeing on a deal that will bring him to Anfield, but as a more box to box midfielder, Keita will bring quality but Liverpool will still lack a ball-winning leader in midfield. Therefore, it may well require Jurgen Klopp dipping into the transfer market for another top class player to fix the problems that exist there.
Forward
The perils of playing with a false nine were highlighted in the game on Sunday, as Liverpool lacked a focal point to play off. The performance of Harry Kane showed everything that his opponents were missing. Kane held the ball up and brought team-mates into the game, dragging defenders out of position to deal with him.
Roberto Firmino is an extremely talented footballer but lacks the cutting edge to make him a top-class striker in the Premier League. That has not been a problem for Liverpool in many games. Against well-organised defences like Manchester United’s and Tottenham’s, however, he has struggled and shown Liverpool need a top-class forward.
Fixing the situation
Resolving these problems in the short-term is going to be very difficult. Liverpool discovered this summer that getting the players in of the quality desired is not easy. Teams are not willing to sell the type of players who are needed. They need to be forced into doing business.
What it will take is a significant financial investment from owners who have recently seemed far from willing to splash the cash. Acquiring a completely new spine for the team is going to cost in the hundreds of millions, but this is what it will take if Liverpool don’t want to repeat the problems that they witnessed on Sunday. Right now, the team is spineless and with every game that goes by, more and more teams are starting to realise.
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