Wolverhampton Wanderers defeated Liverpool in the Premier League for the sixth time this season
Former Liverpool captain Graeme Souness has launched a stinging attack on the Reds’ midfield, claiming that Jurgen Klopp’s side can no longer compete in the middle of the park.
And the three-time European Cup winner believes that midfield reinforcements should have arrived at Anfield last summer after the club’s pursuit of AS Monaco player Aurelien Tchouameni fell through.
For the encounter in the West Midlands, Naby Keita, Thiago Alcantara, and Stefan Bajcetic were given the nod ahead of Harvey Elliott, Jordan Henderson, and Fabinho (unwell), and it was only the 18-year-old Spaniard who walked away with any credit as his two starting companions struggled.
Souness revealed on Sky Sports’ Super Sunday broadcast on Sunday that his previous club are too easy to play against in the middle of the park, with their Premier League and Champions League success founded on the tenacity of Wijnaldum, Fabinho, and Henderson.
On Saturday afternoon, Liverpool suffered their sixth Premier League defeat of the season, falling to Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux. Joel Matip diverted the ball past Alisson Becker and into his own goal after only five minutes, as the Reds retained their reputation as the league’s slowest starters.
Registration begins in January. Craig Dawson doubled the hosts’ lead two minutes later, relying on poor defending from Andy Robertson, Joe Gomez, and Alisson to score from inside the penalty area. Deep into the second half, captain Ruben Neves completed a brilliant counter-attack, dropping Liverpool to tenth in the Premier League rankings.
“They should have been hunting for midfielders to buy last summer a year ago.” “He stated. “The middle was just beginning to emerge a year ago. Wijnaldum, Henderson, and Milner were their finest midfielders – high energy, not technically good, but just high energy, and they tormented players.
“They’d win it high up and hand it to the lads, the front three, and they’d take it from there. Theirs is not an easy problem to address right now because you look at the midfield of Keita, the young Spanish guy, and Thiago, and they’re getting bullied, and if you’re getting bullied in there, you’re usually on the back foot.”
Liverpool’s midfield has been the subject of practically every post-match discussion this season, with Fabinho and Henderson’s form plummeting since the tail end of last season’s quadruple quest. Because to Naby Keita’s ongoing fitness issue, Elliott has been a member of every matchday squad this season despite being only 19 years old.
Prior to the end of last season, Liverpool attempted to sign Tchouameni, but the France international turned down the offer in favor of a move to Real Madrid. After Henderson suffered an injury against Newcastle United, the Reds completed the loan signing of Arthur Melo on the final day of the summer transfer window, but the Brazilian has only played 13 minutes for the Reds this season and was recently unregistered from the club’s Champions League squad for the second half of the season.
However, a significant makeover is likely in the summer, with Milner, Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Keita all out of contract, and the Reds expected to explore their interest in England and Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham.
Liverpool’s next game is against Everton on Monday.
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