January blues are well and truly in force at Liverpool this month, the Reds’ poor month continues as they are the shock exit in the 4th Round of the FA Cup this Saturday after defeat by Wolves. The defeat makes it two cup exits in a week in what has been a poor run of form in 2017.
Paul Lambert orchestrated a classic smash and grab job at Anfield, nine thousand members of the Yam Yam army made the trip form the Black Country to have a day they will never forget. The clash between the two managers also saw the coming together of two Borussia Dortmund legends, both are fans of pressing football with Klopp’s men in particular showing how effective this style of play can be for the first half of this season.
However, you have to take note of how disgraceful the starting 11 of Liverpool was in regards to this game and to the attitude shown towards the opposition. Nine changes were made from the game in the week, most of the players were not regulars in Liverpool’s first team squad and they showed it in this performance.
You can get away with playing kids against Plymouth, you can’t against a team who are only one division below you. Wolves had players in their starting 11 in Connor Coady, who ironically is a former Liverpool youth player, who dominated the midfield against players who are nowhere near the level of Liverpool. Yet somehow they are deemed good enough to play in a game like this?
Klopp says that he doesn’t need reinforcements on January, that may be true on paper by on the pitch they have looked clueless in the last month. An example of the flaws in the high pressing game, halfway through the season the tiredness is evident in the results.
Sadio Mane has been a big miss also, but Liverpool have shown that they can win without him this year so that’s not a good enough excuse really, which to be fair to Klopp he refused to not accept blame personally. However, you do have to wonder if they are panicking as they have just sent a private jet over to pick up Mane from the AFCON after Senegal’s exit last night.
Klopp does need to get top four now at the end of the season or otherwise the boys from the Black Country won’t be the only Wolves to get him by the end of the season.