‘Talk about worrying’: Pundit is terrified about what one rival player could do to Liverpool this season

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Steve Nicol is worried about Liverpool’s defence vs one rival player, in particular. The Reds look incredibly vulnerable.

Liverpool just couldn’t contain Manchester United on Monday evening. Erik ten Hag’s side consistently found gaps in the Reds, be it between the lines or behind. The result was plenty of chances coming for United – chances they took.

And it’s not a first. Both Fulham and Crystal Palace found those same chances, with all three opponents breaking the deadlock with Liverpool. It’s a major concern and the Reds’ defence hasn’t looked this shaky since pre-Virgil van Dijk.

That has some worried, such as ex-Red Steve Nicol. The former full-back believes someone like Erling Haaland would be a serious problem against this current Liverpool backline.

“It’s a little concerning,” he told ESPN. “It’s one thing to lose a game by being unfortunate, it’s another to lose a game and have a lot of the fundamentals so badly wrong.

“The things I’m talking about, defensively in particular. Can you imagine Haaland running in behind that backline? Holy smokes. Talk about worrying. But once they get the basics sorted out, they’ve got talent can’t argue with that. So they’ve got to sort the basics out and quickly.”

Liverpool’s defence vs Erling Haaland

Well, it’s important to remember that Haaland struggled against Liverpool just a few weeks ago. That is evidence that the Reds shouldn’t worry too much.

But at the same time, it’s easy to see where Nicol is coming from. Liverpool just look incredibly vulnerable and direct pace is troubling them badly at the moment. Haaland has that in spades – perhaps a fully integrated Haaland would trouble the Reds.

And so we’re in two minds about it. Teams don’t forget how to defend in three weeks and Liverpool could just as quickly find their groove as they’ve lost it. But things do look worrying right now and the knee-jerk reaction is to ask for change.

Deciding whether that reaction is right or wrong is the big task facing Jurgen Klopp right now.