Liverpool’s five worst players this season like Jurgen Klopp have a future in doubt

Liverpool have endured a nightmare campaign this time around, with boss Jurgen Klopp coming under increasing pressure by the week. The German has been abandoned by a number of his stars since the start of the campaign and his future at Anfield is now in doubt. And Express Sport takes a look at the Reds’ five worst players this season…

Mohammed Salah

Mohamed Salah has been Liverpool’s star since joining the club from Roma in 2017 and has scored a staggering 173 goals in 285 games for the Reds. But he’s been far short of his usual standards this season and hasn’t been able to make the same impact on his team as he has in the past. Salah still scored 17 goals in all competitions. But just seven of those shots have come in the Premier League and the Reds have not presented the same attacking threat as in recent years without the Egypt national team firing on all cylinders.

Trent Alexander Arnold

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s form has been in question for some time and he has not been the same player this season. The 24-year-old forward is guilty of a string of goals conceded by his side and has looked shaky all season. And he hasn’t been able to deliver his usual offensive threat from the other end of the court, with just three assists in 28 games.

Fabinho

Fabinho has seen a huge setback this season and has at times been dominated in the center of the pitch by rival midfielders. At 29, his best days may be behind him. And unless he can regain his form during the second half of the season, the Reds could miss out on qualifying for a European competition next season, not to mention the Champions League.

Jordan Henderson

Jordan Henderson is another player featured this season despite him playing for England at last year’s World Cup in Qatar. The 32-year-old’s club performance was not good enough for a player joining a team looking to win trophies and the Reds are paying the price.

Joe Gomez

Joe Gomez is another player who has been underwhelmed in a Liverpool shirt since last summer. The 25-year-old centre-back has made 17 Premier League appearances this season but has not been the answer to Klopp’s woes.

Gomez looked particularly bad without Virgil van Dijk next to him in the heart of the Merseysiders. And he is unlikely to secure a starting place next season if Klopp stays and delves into the transfer market for defensive reinforcements.

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Liverpool are currently in a personality crisis, but the Merseyside derby is an opportunity to address the issue

It is an attribute that cannot be quantified by any statistic or metric. But no successful party has ever done without it.
And an absence has hurt Liverpool in recent weeks as they continue to slide down the Premier League table.

Big teams need big personalities and too many of The Reds’ most prominent figures have vied for a place in the treatment room this season rather than compete for a place alongside Jurgen Klopp.

Alisson Becker admitted that when, in the wake of last weekend’s dismal 3-0 defeat at struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers, he was asked about the Cavalry’s imminent arrival due to their respective injuries. “This will help the team with the confidence and personality of these players,” noted the goalkeeper. “Football is also a mental game.”

While Liverpool are far from the mentality monsters of previous years, it is perhaps unsurprising given the appeal of those who have been absent from the starting lineup in recent weeks, either through injury or an alarming lack of form: Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate from defence, Fabinho and Jordan Henderson from midfield, and Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz and Roberto Firmino from attack.

Personality comes in many different forms and only in rare cases, like with Van Dijk, is it fully realized when you first join a team. Thiago Alcantara and Andy Robertson have taken on additional responsibilities of late – the latter reclaiming the captaincy in his last two games – but young players like Stefan Bajcetic and Harvey Elliott cannot yet be expected to take on a similar task, while newcomers Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo are still getting their feet under the table.
For example, Firmino provides skilled forwards, Jota is an annoying presence that often agitates opponents, while Konate’s physicality gives him a certain aura. These are the inspirational figures of the team, the ones who set the standard. Not every player needs a strong personality – indeed, too much can cause problems within a team – but every team needs one. It shapes their identity, which for Liverpool usually means intensity. Not currently, however.

Club captain Henderson has long been dubbed the ‘General’ in this regard by his manager, and a dip in form – coupled with utter burnout after 91 appearances for club and country since the start of last season – have contributed to not make him start the last four games. In terms of on-field performance, there might be few complaints. However, Klopp is right to point out that the shortcomings in terms of personality are collective.

“If you missed something from Hendo, but everything else was there, we wouldn’t miss it as much,” says the Reds boss. “Like everyone else, like Virgil van Dijk (an inspiring figure).

“When he’s at his highest level, we miss him like crazy from his highest level. But even Virgil didn’t play all the games sensationally.
“This is a team story and, if you will, a coaching story. Nothing else. No single player or single staff or anything. This story doesn’t work, it certainly doesn’t.” That’s all.”

Few games require hearts and minds as big as the Merseyside derby, with Everton making the short trip through Stanley Park on Monday night. Jota could be in contention after almost four months, Henderson is pushing for a recall. Van Dijk and Firmino are not too far behind.

In tough times, teams need their biggest personalities. And while Klopp will welcome the return of some, this time could mark the emergence of the next generation of Liverpool leaders. After all, they are necessary.