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Liverpool: Journalist claims successful period has affected board decisions
Liverpool’s successes under Jurgen Klopp in previous campaigns have “clouded the judgement” of the Anfield board, according to Josh Williams.
The Lowdown: Klopp’s success
Jurgen Klopp is the man who brought the English league title back to Anfield and the first time ever in the Premier League during the 2019/20 campaign, alongside a Champions League title and multiple runners-up in both the league and Europe.
However, his tenure has hit a brick wall this season with Liverpool woefully underperforming from previous campaigns under Klopp, with them currently sat ninth, ten points behind the top four and out of both domestic cups.
The Latest: Williams’ comments
Protests from the stands this season against American owners Fenway Sports Group, most notable in the 2-1 defeat against Leeds United at Anfield (Daily Mail) have taken place amid a lack of investment that has caused the decline.
But speaking on the Blood Red podcast, Williams claimed that naivety caused by recent success is also to blame, saying:
“Yes, you need investments in the squad and in this kind of situation, Liverpool obviously need a bit of investment from the ownership but for the most part over the past couple years, that hasn’t always been needed.
“It’s more a case of this weird avoidance of the midfield and this absolute commitment to the likes of Henderson, Milner, Keita and Ox and players like this who just for a couple years now maybe haven’t really been at the level required to start every week for Liverpool.
“Or maybe the success or the very near immortal success that we had last season has kind of clouded the judgment a little bit because it feels more like strategic decisions regarding squad planning has been at fault just as much as a lack of spending.”
The Verdict: Worrying summer?
Liverpool find themselves in a position where six first-team players find themselves out of contract in the summer (Transfermarkt), including £52.8m signing Naby Keita and £35m man Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
The pair are the most obvious examples of what Williams is suggesting with both enduring huge injury lay-offs at Anfield. With Keita missing 84 games to injury and Chamberlain absent for 90, neither player has been able to hold down a regular spot for this reason, with the Englishman playing over 18 top-flight games in just two of five full campaigns.
Liverpool’s inability to move away from players such as those two is a valid argument for the Reds finding themselves in their current predicament, with both stars arguably incapable of attracting fees close to what they were once brought in for, limiting the club’s involvement in the window with expensive stars stuck on the wage bill.
