Liverpool’s midfield used to be defined by its unwavering intensity. The likes of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Gini Wijnaldum never used to create many opportunities, but they won the ball back relentlessly and provided a terrific platform from which the fullbacks could bomb forward and the attackers could wreak havoc.
Throughout the rebuild, Jurgen Klopp added creative options in Naby Keita and Thiago, but they cannot stay fit…
The real issue is that the energy the long-serving midfielders provided has totally withered – understandable given how hard they’ve fought over the past five years.
We press less. We tackle less. We intercept less. None of this is more blatant than with Fabinho, whose form has totally dropped off a cliff.
Liverpool beat Ajax 3-0 midweek, but the issues with the midfield were largely still apparent, even with Klopp using a 4-4-2 diamond for the first time in years. Fabinho and Henderson fail to track runners all of the time, and it would be unfair to expect Harvey Elliott, a natural attacker, to do a sound defensive job while still in his teens.
Recruitment is desperately needed. Liverpool need young, physical, hungry midfielders in January – it cannot wait until the summer. Moises Caicedo from Brighton would be a nice start.