Liverpool’s declining results, successive defeats, problems with new signings, and Salah’s declining performance have led to a deterioration in the team’s performance and their delay in the league table.
Liverpool has witnessed a noticeable decline in its performance in recent weeks, embodied in a series of negative results, the latest of which was the defeat at its home ground “Anfield” against Manchester United with a score of 1-2 in the eighth round of the English Premier League.
This defeat froze “The Reds” at 15 points, making the team, which was at the top at the beginning of the season, 4 points behind the leader Arsenal.
It is worth noting that this loss is Liverpool’s first at home against Manchester United since January 2016, as the team maintained a record free of defeats against its rival on its home ground throughout the past decade.
Since the defeat against Crystal Palace with a score of 1-2 in the sixth round of the English Premier League, Liverpool has begun to lose points on various levels, suffering four consecutive defeats.
Liverpool lost in the last three rounds of the English Premier League against Crystal Palace, Chelsea, and Manchester United, in addition to the defeat in the second round of the Champions League against Galatasaray with a score of 0-1.
For the first time since 2014, Liverpool has suffered a series of four consecutive defeats, reflecting the sudden deterioration witnessed by the team under the leadership of the new coach.
This comes after a busy season in which the team won the English Premier League title, and a strong start to the current season, thanks to victories in the last moments that showed the team’s determination to win until the end.
Contrary to expectations, the sudden deterioration in the performance of “The Reds” came, especially after the strong deals the club made in the summer to strengthen the team’s ranks.
It was expected that the Alexander Isak deal would be a strong addition to the attack line after the departure of Darwin Núñez, but the reality was disappointing.
The Swedish striker, who shone at Newcastle United, seems far from his usual level and lacks harmony and confidence in front of goal.
The problem was exacerbated by the coach’s decision to give up the young French striker, who scored a promising start with the team, in order to give priority to Isak.
Thus, Liverpool lost a promising striker without benefiting from the big deal they bet on.
Also, the other expected player has not provided the desired level so far, which prompted the coach to put him on the bench recently.
On the defensive level, the Frenchman Ibrahima Konaté committed repeated mistakes that cost the team valuable points, while the newcomer was unable to convince the coach and remained confined to the bench, despite his remarkable offensive skills.
The surprise is that the coach chose to convert the talented midfielder to the right-back position in most matches, which weakened the midfield.
With the decline in the team’s results and the increasing doubts about the coach’s recent choices, it seems that Liverpool is paying the price for the summer decisions.
Instead of the new deals being a bridge to stay at the top, they have become a burden on the team, and if the coach does not correct the course quickly, the “Reds” season may turn from the ambition to compete to a struggle to save what can be saved.
Mohamed Salah is experiencing one of his quietest periods since joining Liverpool, as his offensive impact has declined significantly this season compared to his strong start last season, when he was the undisputed leader in the attack line.
After 11 games in the league, Salah has scored only 3 goals and provided 3 assists in various competitions, which are modest numbers for a player who used to score and create goals on a regular basis.
Worse, Salah has not scored or made any goal since September 20, the period that witnessed Liverpool’s successive defeats, reflecting the impact of his goal drought on the team’s results.
Last season, Salah was at his peak in the same period, having scored more than double that number of goals, and contributed directly to the series of victories that put Liverpool in the title race, scoring 7 goals and making 6 others during the first 11 games.
This season, however, the Egyptian star seems to be suffering from physical fatigue and a decline in offensive sharpness, in addition to a lack of harmony with his new teammates, especially after the departure of right-back Alexander Arnold, and the lack of a fixed alternative in this position, which affects the partnership between the players.
Salah’s absence from scoring does not only affect his personal numbers, but the entire team, because when the team’s top scorer stops, the team’s offensive rhythm stops with him.
While the coach is trying to restore the team’s balance, restoring Salah to his level remains a top priority to save the “Reds” season before it is too late.
source: 961 today
