Liverpool were disappointing to say the least at the weekend. The Reds drew 2-2 away at Shrewsbury Town after going two up without fuss. Even though it was a poor performance, returning stars needed match practice – these sort of displays are necessary for Premier League success.
The FA Cup is not a priority for Jürgen Klopp.
The Premier League and Champions League are the main focus for this Liverpool side.
In order to complete for these two trophies, the first XI need to be fighting fit and rested.
In recent months the first XI have had sparse cover, particularly in defence.
We were down to two fit centre backs at the start of the month with Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren both injured, along with auxiliary defender Fabinho.
If we want to sustain a challenge for the double then we need to get our backup players back to full fitness.
Shrewsbury Town was the ideal return fixture for Matip, Lovren and Fabinho.
The trio need to build up their match fitness and match practice if they are to be ready for first team action as we head into the business end of the season.
Whilst the two centre backs are likely to be used as backups, Fabinho is sure to step back into the first XI as soon as he is ready.
When you return from injury you need to feel your way back into the game. Your touch is off and your reading of the game isn’t as sharp as it should be.
The two centre halves in particular looked out of touch, one of the most glaring incidents being Dejan Lovren failing to stop the attack when Shrewsbury scored their second.
We needed a game to start these returning players in so that they could get their mistakes out of the way. Thankfully they got them out of the way and we stayed in the competition.
It was a poor performance yes but it was a necessary evil. Another poor showing from these players and we can call them into question but for now we can chalk it up to rehabilitation.
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