Liverpool’s Big Problem

Liverpool’s Big Problem

Watching Liverpool play West Ham on Saturday raised a big concern more than the disastrous drubbing from a team that had never won at Anfield in the league for over 50 years.

Liverpool had no width other than their two full-backs, Clyne and Gomez who did their best to hug the touch line to give the central midfielders options wide. But far too often they were overlooked as the Reds tried to play their way through a packed West Ham midfield and defence that played a high defensive line resulting in no space for Liverpool’s midfield to play through because they knew that Liverpool didn’t have the pace in their lone-striker Benteke to get behind them.

Even when Gomez and Clyne received the ball out wide it was often passed too slowly for them to run on to and they would have to pass the ball back inside. Clyne got down the flank a few times but his final ball was disappointing and Gomez didn’t look comfortable going forward down the flank, after all he is used to playing in the centre of defence.

The biggest worry is that Liverpool don’t have many options in regards to playing wide players that can hurt the opposition, Liverpool need to stretch the opposition with good wide men when teams come to Anfield to defend.

Rodgers brought on Moreno and Ibe in the second half on Saturday but although Moreno is pacey and industrious he lacks quality and an end product and Ibe is still young and adjusting to the pace of the Premier League and has struggled since the start of the season.

The decision to allow Markovic to go out on loan seems ludicrous after spending so much money on him last season and he would have been another option to play out wide with his pace.

Rodgers has used Coutinho, Lallana, Henderson, Milner and more recently Firmino out wide but none have the pace to hurt teams and all of them would prefer to play centrally so Liverpool could have big problems breaking defensive teams down this season, especially at Anfield.