The knives are out for Liverpool after their disappointing 4-1 defeat at Tottenham on Sunday, with specific players in the firing line for most.
It’s the same theme for ESPN pundit Craig Burley who has established a reputation for his no-nonsense views, and it’s been no different when discussing the problems that Jurgen Klopp’s side are encountering.
In turn, he’s picked out two players in particular who he believes shouldn’t be anywhere near the Liverpool starting line-up again, and in truth, he has a point.
Dejan Lovren was hauled off at Wembley after a nightmare opening half in which he was guilty of countless costly mistakes, while Alberto Moreno has never been convincing from a defensive perspective.
The Spaniard is consistently caught out, and although he is a threat going forward, he hasn’t improved enough to suggest that he deserves to be the starting left-back at a club chasing major honours.
However, it’s highly unlikely that Klopp is going to axe them for good, although he’d be well advised to make specific changes moving forward if he has hopes of Liverpool winning silverware this season.
“It’s nothing to do with attitude, it’s to do with football intelligence, it’s to do with brains, it’s to do with being able to read the game,” Burley said, as reported by The Express.
“Liverpool defenders cannot read or smell or sniff out dangerous situations. We could talk about Lovren all day but he’s just made too many mistakes. He shouldn’t be wearing a Liverpool strip.
“Alberto Moreno, right, how the hell he’s still playing left-back for Liverpool after his performances over the last couple of seasons is beyond me.”
The Reds sit in ninth place in the Premier League table, and have conceded 16 goals in nine games so far this year, with only five other teams possessing a worse defensive record. Burley makes a great point over this Liverpool duo, but will Klopp really make the necessary changes for the rest of this season?