Liverpool's poor transfer planning has Klopp suffering from success

Suraj Radia

31 Oct 2022 17:48 GMT
4 min read

Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool, 2022-23 — © ProShots

Jurgen Klopp has told critics to hold off their judgement on Liverpool until later on in the season after a run of poor form coupled with injuries to crucial players.

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Liverpool sit ninth in the Premier League and are on a run of two wins in their last seven games, having suffered back-to-back losses to Nottingham Forest and Leeds.

Klopp’s side have suffered a host of injuries to the likes of Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz and Naby Keita, while crucial players such as Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold have endured difficult campaigns so far.

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Liverpool are eight points of the top four and 15 points away from league leaders Arsenal, piling the pressure on Klopp and his team after many years of showcasing themselves as one of Europe’s elite sides.

Klopp admitted to reporters that his squad ‘expected more out of themselves’ but insisted that it is ‘not 100% fair’ to judge his side due to injuries.

He said: "The judgement of this will be later on in the season or maybe at the end of the season, where you say ‘that’s it’ for the group of players or for this manager, if you want. Questions will be asked then.”

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While Liverpool have undoubtedly struggled to field their strongest team for the majority of the season, the lack of investment by the club in recent years has finally come back to haunt Klopp.

Liverpool have a net spend in arrears of £220 million in the last five years, a number eclipsed by eight other Premier League teams including top four rivals Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea.

Crucially, the club are lacking desperately in midfield, with veterans Jordan Henderson and James Milner playing more important roles than Klopp perhaps wanted prior to the start of the season.

Klopp had previously insisted during the summer that Liverpool did not need another midfielder but his position quickly changed following the poor start to the season.

Liverpool had held off significantly spending on their midfield as they wanted to pursue Jude Bellingham next summer, who will likely cost in excess of £100m, but their plan may backfire should they miss out on Champions League football, making a deal more difficult.

Klopp has perhaps suffered from his success, having come close to securing a historic quadruple last season, prompting Liverpool to believe that their squad was in a better position than it truly was.

The Reds boss is now in danger of seeing his Liverpool career end in a similar way to his spell at Dortmund, having also spent a long period of time at the German side before a difficult final season.

The pressure will be on the board to revitalise this stale squad or risk losing one of the greatest managers in football and potentially sending Liverpool into another spell of rebuilding under a new coach.