1. Careless Reds continue to falter at the back: 

Liverpool once again exposed their defensive frailties to the world( as if they weren’t already crystal clear) in what was a particularly worrying display from Jurgen Klopp’s men.

The fact that Dejan Lovren was made to exit proceedings just half an hour in truly paints a picture at how bad his day was.

His counterpart, Joel Matip, who usually escapes unscathed from criticism compared to his Croatian teammate, was not a great deal better.

Five goals shipped away to Manchester City, now followed up by four at Wembley is pretty horrific even for the defensive standards that Reds fans have become accustomed to over the years.

The four conceded yesterday now means the Reds have conceded 15 goals on their travels, more then any other side in the league, including rock-bottom Crystal Palace.

In the 2008/09 season when Liverpool were league runners up to Manchester United, they let in fewer goals all season than the current side has thus far.

 

2. Klopp’s patience appears to have run out: 

A despondent and dejected Jurgen Klopp stared in the face of adversity on the full time whistle.

This was not a game where decisions had  gone against them, this was not a game where they were unlucky with their chances, nor was this a game where the referee was not fair to them.

No, this was a game where they were made to pay for countless errors, and when we saw the Liverpool manager’s facial expression as the horror show reached its conclusion, it was clear that he too realised this.

Standing in desolation , an expressionless and exasperated Klopp  seemed in one moment to finally come to terms with the testing situation he is  faced with.

The usual beaming and buoyant manager in post match interviews, was anything but that.

Lately, the German  has seemed fed up of having to answer the same questions repeatedly. ” When will you fix your defensive errors?”, ” don’t you think your defence is letting you down?”

While he normally defends his side and talks of improvement that will shortly follow, he opted for a different approach this time.

Instead he admitted that they were at fault and weren’t good enough . ” If I was playing in this situation on the pitch, then Harry ( Kane) cannot get the ball” ( in reference to Lovren’s defending for the second goal).

Klopp’s patience is wearing thin.

3. We need to talk about Bobby: 

Roberto Firmino has been a fine acquisition since his arrival two years ago from Hoffenheim.

He started this season rather well but has petered out since.

Aside from his double against Maribor, Firmino has not been his usual self whatsoever, appearing lethargic and lacklustre in front of goal.

Treacherous travelling whilst away on international  break may well have played a part in this, but this is nothing he’s not used to.

Against Tottenham he failed to contribute anything noteworthy and his form is starting to becoming somewhat of a concern.

Everyone knows he has the talent to play well week in week out, he just needs to find his goal scoring rhythm once again.

 

4. Lack of team spirit is a real worry: 

Liverpool are a club that have become renowned for possessing a never say die attitude, whether that is Istanbul, the FA Cup final against West Ham in 2006, 5-4 vs Norwich, or the comeback in the second leg Europa League clash against Borrusia Dortmund.

None of that spirit and desire has been on show as of late, the team looks deprived of leaders, no one seems willing enough to pick the game up by the scruff of its neck and turn things around.

The away performances to Manchester City and Spurs have an Arsenal feel to them,  in the sense that capitulating in the big games when it matters most is something that Wenger’s side have become known for, take their 4-0 battering at Anfield in August for example.

The Reds have been on the receiving end of some embarrassing scorelines lately, scorelines which they themselves have inflicted in past times, for example : 5-1 vs Arsenal, 0-5 + 4-0 vs Spurs.

Klopp is not the sort of manager to allow players to rest on their laurels or accept half-hearted performances, it’s not the same Liverpool side we have seen in Klopp’s first two years.

This lack of fight is most uncharacteristic.

5. Major work needed to turn this around: 

At the start of the season, most people predicted Liverpool for a top four finish, some predicted top three, few, however, predicted the title- how many of those few still hold this belief?

High hopes take over before the start of a new season and there is a sense of optimism each year that just maybe this could be the year for dreams to come true.

The 2013/14 season was the closest the side has come to reaching the holy grail of English football, the year where people dared to dream, when exquisite football became the norm, when opposition dreaded playing, when a distant expectation almost become reality.

‘Make us dream’ banners were flailing home and away wherever the team played, it wouldn’t be so much of a dream to ask for a title to arrive, but instead more of a miracle given the current circumstances.

This Liverpool side have the potential to win the league, which is the most frustrating thing of all for the Anfield faithful, but the issues that are sat in plain sight are simply not being addressed.

The whole backline needs a shake-up, the defensive unit that played against Spurs demonstrated once more that they are not of a title winning standard.

Until this is fixed, it seems unlikely that those distant dreams will transform into greatness.

 

Tom Cavilla.