By Dan Clubbe
The outcry for fresh faces in the Liverpool midfield department has been deafening ever since the first ball was kicked at Craven Cottage back in August. Members of the travelling Kop watched on as a side that came so close to immortality seemingly struggled to find any semblance of recognisable form from day one of the 2022/23 season proper.
But, an area of the pitch once derided as a ‘Brexit’ midfield by many among the fanbase, the Reds have gone from a relentless, industrious, life-sucking and impossible-to-compete-with machine to tame, passive, lifeless and easy-to-attack almost overnight.
Whilst the problems that have led to such a demise are plentiful, there can be no denying that the major issue stems from what was once the engine room of Jurgen Klopp’s side, the so-called ‘Brexit’ midfield. Previously lamented for a lack of creativity when containing the likes of James Milner, Gini Wijnaldum and Jordan Henderson, now it appears a loss of energy, battle and bite might just be hurting Liverpool’s cause more than any dearth of goals or assists ever could.
Despite the undoubted quality that remains in the Anfield ranks, there can be no denying that the Reds have gone from pressing mentality monsters to vulnerable top-four hopefuls all too quickly.
Although it would appear tempting, pinning the entire blame on those currently carrying out the roles isn’t the best method to support the side. With the likes of converted wingers Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones occasionally the subject of ire from Reds everywhere.
Instead, the midfield dilemma is far more complex and perhaps lies at the door of an attempted switch from Klopp and co to add more technicians to the side, losing a portion of that grit, determination and steel that made LFC the champions of the world.
Add to that the extreme circumstances of last season and how it ended, plus injuries to key players, none less so than the recent hamstring problem that is set to rule Virgil van Dijk out for a period, and it’s been somewhat of a season to forget up until this point.
Albeit the problem cannot be solved with one signing alone, the idea that an addition such as a certain Jude Bellingham wouldn’t improve the overall options at Klopp’s disposal is simply incorrect and therefore cannot be overlooked as a possible solution for both the short and long term future of this side.
But, with the idea of a January move worth in excess of £100million seemingly fanciful, Liverpool may need to look in less well-trodden spaces to find their answer.
Links to the likes of Matheus Nunes, Sofyan Ambrabat and more recently Teun Koopmeiners continue to entice supporters, however, the mid-season window is renowned for being a treacherous time to add players to any squad and Luis Diaz, Philippe Coutinho, Virgil van Dijk and Luis Suarez as an aside, not necessarily a window that the Reds have had…oh, perhaps there is some smart business to be done on second thoughts!