Liverpool learning to lose

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This article was published 22/01/2021 (2034 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

We are about to learn a lot about Liverpool.

On Thursday, thanks to an Ashley Barnes penalty in the 83rd minute, the Reds lost 1-0 at home to Burnley — their first Premier League defeat at Anfield since April 2017.

The club-record streak of 68 games was bound to end sooner or later. It doesn’t matter that it was Burnley who ended it. What does matter is that once again this typically rampaging team failed to score a goal, that they’re winless in five in the league, that fifth-place Tottenham are just a point behind them with a game in hand, that local rivals Everton are only two points back with two games in hand.

Nevermind that leaders Manchester United, who they’ll face on Sunday in the FA Cup, are six points above them. Liverpool, in a matter of weeks, have become a side suddenly looking over their shoulder.

So what’s happened?

The easy explanation is that the squad is tired, which is partly true, although not for the reason one might think. Yes, the 2020 Premier League winners have played a lot of matches, what with successive Champions League Final appearances in 2018 and 2019, but two years is a very short amount of time for a team this good to be at the top.

Not that it hasn’t happened before. Arsenal’s “Invincibles” of 2003-04 finished the season unbeaten, although they drew a third of their games, and then wound up 12 points short of the summit the following spring. They contested and lost the Champions League Final in 2006 but flamed out quickly after that. Were they a flash in the pan? Only their record can provide a definitive answer.

Might this Liverpool side be a similar one-off?

Truthfully, it’s too soon to tell, although they are far, far superior to that Arsenal outfit, no matter the nickname. So there’s that.

But back to fatigue. In this instance it’s perhaps more appropriate to look at Liverpool’s playing style than their number of games the past few seasons. In a word, they’re relentless — at least they were until recently.

When he moved to England after seven years at Borussia Dortmund, manager Jurgen Klopp brought his high-pressing, constant-running template along with him. The “Gegenpress” had served him well in the Bundesliga, resulting in back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2012. What’s interesting, or should be to Liverpool, is Dortmund’s record bookending those shields.

In 2010, Die Schwarzgelben came fifth, missing out on the Champions League altogether. And while they made the Final, and lost, in 2013, they ended up a whopping 25 points adrift of Bayern Munich, drawing or losing 14 matches. By 2015 they were seventh, losing more than they won, and Klopp was shown the door.

The takeaway here is that Klopp demands an awful lot from his players. After learning his system they quickly climb up the table and claim major silverware, but so much is spent in attaining that success that it’s not long-sustained, and the descent is inevitably as rapid as the rise.

It’s quite possibly why Mohamed Salah reportedly wants to join Real Madrid while fellow attacker Sadio Mane is entertaining overtures from Barcelona. Georginio Wijnaldum, meanwhile, seems content to let his contract run down. They’ve all done enough running these past few years; burnout is a very real possibility. It might already be happening.

Klopp isn’t about to change his approach, although some flexibility — even a full-on Plan B — would perhaps be advisable.

The acquisition of Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich could be part of a solution, although injuries have limited his effectiveness so far this term. Liverpool have also been criticized for lacking much in the way of squad depth — a shortcoming that has only hastened the weariness among the first team.

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Following Sunday’s FA Cup clash at Old Trafford, the Reds will visit Spurs for a crucial Premier League encounter, after which they face a tricky affair away to West Ham, who are also nipping at their heels. In February, they’ll come up against Manchester City, Leicester and Everton. It’s a testing run of games, one that could very well determine whether the Reds will defend their title or fade away after shining so brightly, so briefly.

Yes, we are about to learn everything we need to know about Liverpool.

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Twitter @JerradPeters