The Post Winter Break Hangover And How It Can Aid Liverpool In The Coming Years

Article by Jake Clay @JakeClay17It’s been a shit few days as a Liverpool fan. Never thought I would say that after the club’s record breaking season has put the Reds in pole position to win their first league title in 30 years alongside still being alive in their last 16 Champions League tie against Atletico Madrid.Yet, three defeat in Liverpool’s last four games has exhumed scepticism from Kopites at Jurgen Klopp’s men are clear lack of rhythm on the pitch. Ironically the supposed culprit of this difficult spell is the newly introduced winter break to the Premier League calendar that the German had pleaded for ever since he arrived in England.As the treble looked achievable when approaching the last stretch of the season Liverpool suffered the blow of Madrid gaining the upper hand in the tie as they are coming to Anfield 1-0 lead as well as being dumped out of the FA cup by Chelsea.After coming back from bulldozing an impressive Southampton team with a clinical second half Liverpool haven’t looked themselves at both ends of the field.A scrappy affair against Norwich needed Sadio Mane’s brilliance to secure a 1-0 win while against West Ham a disastrous performance from Lukasz Fabianski contributed to Liverpool’s three goals. What has been more concerning is the lack of solidarity in the back line.These warning signs didn’t stop Liverpool firing blanks against Atletico where they looked lost in their attacking patterns. You can say that was down to Sadio Mane acting like a ticking time bomb, who was ready to blow if one more player in red and white fouled him prompting his substitution and therefore accepted the 1-0 depreciation going into the second leg.Then there was the disastrous trip to Vicarage Road when Liverpool didn’t create one clear-cut chance against a side in the relegation zone. Albeit against Chelsea, Liverpool did create openings but there was a lack of conviction in finishing that Liverpool haven’t suffered for a long time.What has been more concerning is the lack of solidarity in the back line.Despite Norwich sitting back in their numbers if the run from Lukas Rupp was half a second sooner, his one on one with Allison would have been a legitimate chance for the leagues bottom club. The ease that Michail Antonio bullied Liverpool’s back four was something Anfield hasn’t since Klopp’s early days as offensive players sensed it was their day against the reds.

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That was certainly the case against Watford as Troy Deeney must have licked his lips when he saw Dejan Lovren’s name on the team sheet. Another old habit that has creeped back into Liverpool’s game is opposition teams catching Liverpool on the break. Ross Barkley running the length of the pitch without any challenge has fuelled the view that a defensive unit that untouchable is suddenly showing signs of vulnerability.The lack of communication along the back four needs rectifying quickly as Virgil Van Dijk bellowing at his fellow defenders was the blueprint of the best defence in the league. A knock to the Dutch captain’s confidence has affected the backbone of Klopp’s side as well.Even if the winter break has hampered Liverpool’s momentum this does not mean it has to be a lasting issue. Klopp had a similar experience when he was manager of Borussia Dortmund as in the five games after his first winter break with the German club in 2009 they picked up four points from 15, losing once and drawing four.However as Klopp’s reign went on the results in the post winter break period that picking up as in the five fixtures after the rest period from 2010 to 2015 accumulated 59 points from a possible 87. This is taking into account he had a Dortmund side that were living in Bayern Munich’s shadow which is incomparable to the squad and stature Liverpool have in the Premier League.Therefore the relentlessness Klopp’s players release on the pitch comes from the demand training sessions and preparation week in and week out. When there is a disruption such as the winter break it hinders Liverpool’s intensity. The problem for Liverpool is with the quality domestically and in European competitions a drop off in performance damages the chances of winning silverware.If Liverpool’s manager can learn to adapt his training methods to integrate with the winter break and not be an obstacle, then for the next four years he is with Liverpool it is vital not letting these mini slumps limit their success in seasons ahead.What seems like a dark cloud covering this period of Liverpool’s outstanding season should be a beacon of light for them to become even more incredibly consistent than they have been this year.Just imagine that, not many outside Liverpool really want to.Article by Jake Clay – @JakeClay17