Why are Brendan Rodgers’ team underperforming so much?
Liverpool continued their frustrating start to the Premier League season yesterday, with Brendan Rodgers’ side beaten 1-0 by Newcastle United at St. James’ Park, with Alan Pardew’s side controlling long periods of the game and thoroughly deserving their victory.
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The Reds, of course, lost Luis Suarez in the summer – but whilst they miss the Uruguayan, his absence is not the only cause of the club’s malaise so far during this campaign. Here are five reasons why we think their performances and results have been so poor:
They signed the wrong central defender
It was clear to everyone that Liverpool needed to invest heavily in their defence this summer and, whilst Rodgers secured the signings of Dejan Lovren, Alberto Moreno and Javier Manquillo, the Reds haven’t really improved sufficiently. Lovren, in particular, does not look like a £20m player and suffers from the same flaws as his partner Martin Skrtel. Surely they could’ve got better for their money?
Too much pressure is on Balotelli
Balotelli has by no means been the catastrophic buy that he is often portrayed to have been – but signing a player with the reputation that the Italian has, whether fair or not, will mean that he is constantly under the media spotlight and will be put under unfair pressure when going through a patch like he currently is.
They can’t get Sturridge on the pitch
It is, of course, an obvious point, but the Reds are missing their star striker hugely and seem to lack pace and incision at the top of the pitch without him in the team. Having the England international available also takes a small amount of pressure off Balotelli.
Rodgers tried to be too clever with his buys
It was surprising when Rodgers didn’t sign a single player proven at a top European club this summer – and that decision looks even more questionable at this point. The likes of Lazar Markovic, Javier Manquillo and Adam Lallana could prove to be exciting buys over time, but a couple of proven additions through the spine of the team would probably have been advisable.
They have no alternative to Steven Gerrard
Steven Gerrard has had a wonderful career and is, quite rightly, a Liverpool legend – but the level to which the Reds are reliant on him for midfield creativity is worrying. Rodgers really need to find a younger, more dynamic alternative to Gerrard in the playmaking role but neglected it in the summer.