Whereas the midfield rebuild has dominated discussions round Liverpool’s summer time switch enterprise up to now, the shortage of defensive reinforcements is a significant trigger for concern.
With subsequent week’s switch deadline looming massive, it’s honest to say that Liverpool nonetheless have some important work to do if this window is to be thought-about an total success.
Regardless of the shock signing of Wataru Endo from Stuttgart final week, there stays an apparent want for another excessive calibre midfielder, ideally of a youthful age – whether or not it’s a specialist quantity six or a extra versatile, multi-functional sort.
It stays to be seen whether or not Liverpool make a transfer for one of many perpetually linked targets comparable to Cheick Doucoure, Ryan Gravenberch, Khephren Thuram or Manu Kone, or maybe one other identify that emerges completely out of the blue.
Nevertheless it does appear as if Liverpool are at the least nonetheless contemplating their choices on this regard.
By full distinction, there is no such thing as a indication, at current, that Liverpool are actively pursuing a centre-back signing.
Given the notable absence of credible hyperlinks to defenders all through the window, aside from the temporary ideas of curiosity in Levi Colwill – a deal that by no means appeared remotely on the playing cards – it appears more and more doubtless that Liverpool will probably be urgent forward with their current defensive choices.
If that continues to be the case, it’s an unlimited danger to take, leaving Liverpool dangerously reliant on the supply of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, which is certainly not assured.
Strolling an pointless tightrope
Presuming that Jurgen Klopp is dedicated to the ‘field midfield’ system, which all of the indicators all through pre-season and within the opening two video games definitely level in the direction of, then the presence of Konate is totally integral to creating it work.
He’s the one participant within the squad with the mix of velocity, physicality and positional sense to successfully cowl such an unlimited quantity of floor in that right-hand channel – and as sensible as he’s, it’s a particularly robust job even for him at occasions.
Though Joe Gomez may’ve been completely suited to that function previously, it’s troublesome to establish what his true degree is nowadays, and the unconvincing nature of his performances at occasions final season means that accidents have taken a substantial toll.
He may be ok to fill in often towards sure ranges of opposition, however it’d be a priority if Liverpool all of a sudden needed to rely on him for a protracted time period.
Likewise, Joel Matip’s ranges have declined fairly dramatically, and the gulf at school between him and Van Dijk is way bigger than it as soon as was.
A system inhibiting Robertson
Even placing apart questions round Gomez and Matip’s capacity to carry out on the required degree, there’s additionally the problem round whether or not you possibly can truly rely on them to be obtainable once you want them to be, given their susceptibility to harm (each gamers have missed greater than 40 video games by harm since 2019/20).
You might make an identical argument in regards to the drop off from Andy Robertson to Kostas Tsimikas as properly, however neither participant seems to be a very snug slot in that left-sided centre-back function, which requires way more positional self-discipline versus always bombing up and down the wing like a typical full-back.
Robertson is definitely ok to do an inexpensive job there in sure matches (as he did within the 3-1 win towards Bournemouth), however it’s a place which inhibits lots of his most interesting qualities and tends to reveal the weaker components of his sport.
In an excellent world, Liverpool would’ve signed a left-footed centre-back this summer time – not essentially to completely displace Robertson, however to offer a extra pure, defensively minded various, much like what Pep Guardiola has carried out at Man Metropolis with Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji and, most lately, Josko Gvardiol.
By selecting to not bolster their choices, it feels as if Liverpool are leaving themselves in an unnecessarily fragile state of affairs on the again, which they’ve carried out earlier than within the current previous and suffered closely from consequently.
A difficulty a number of years within the making
One of many peculiar elements of Liverpool’s switch exercise in recent times is that they’ve carried out an immaculate job of replenishing the attacking division and planning for the longer term by bringing in Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo over 5 switch home windows.
By doing issues regularly and letting the likes of Divock Origi, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino transfer on on the proper time, the evolution of Klopp’s ahead choices has been fairly seamless.
It’s been a very completely different story with the midfield, which had been left to stagnate for much too lengthy, straight contributing to final season’s failure to safe Champions League qualification and resulting in this summer time’s overhaul, with 5 main departures and three arrivals up to now.
The state of affairs with the defence hasn’t been mismanaged to fairly the identical diploma, however once you boil it down, the one important centre-back signing within the final 5 years has been Konate (the one others being Sepp van den Berg, Ben Davies, and Ozan Kabak on mortgage).
As very good as Konate has been, his optimistic influence alone doesn’t masks the truth that Liverpool haven’t invested sufficiently on this a part of the squad for fairly a while now.
It actually should have been a precedence on day one in every of this summer time switch window, with a complete checklist of targets drawn up in order that if the primary selection didn’t work out, contingency plans have been put in place.
Sporting Lisbon’s Goncalo Inacio, for example, appeared an excellent selection with a really beneficial launch clause (£42.9m) earlier than lately signing a brand new contract, whereas Marc Guehi and Armel Bella-Kotchap would tick loads of containers if Liverpool have been to go down the route of pursuing a younger, excessive potential centre-back with Premier League expertise.
For no matter purpose, although, Liverpool seem to have been content material to kick this explicit can down the highway as soon as extra relatively than transfer proactively to strengthen their defensive choices each for the brand new season and for years to return.
It’s too early to say what impact that call will in the end have on Liverpool’s fortunes in 2023/24, but when nothing adjustments within the subsequent few days, it could hardly be a significant shock if it proves to be a pricey error within the months forward.
For a squad blessed with such an array of riches, it could be an unlimited disgrace to limit the possibilities of success by leaving a few key positions understocked but once more.
