Graeme Souness says Liverpool form shows who’s been ‘underrated’ for ‘last five years’

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People have underrated the midfield at Liverpool for five years, says Graeme Souness. This season, though, they’re missing it.

Liverpool have been far from perfect this year – so what’s changed? Last season they were as close to perfect as it gets, nearly winning every trophy.

The attack, after all, isn’t struggling. The defence has been rocky but has also been under more pressure than at any other time in Jurgen Klopp’s reign.

Graeme Souness points to the midfield for that, then. He believes people have ‘underrated’ just how important they’ve been over the last five years. Now they’re struggling o compete, the Reds are far worse.

“This is a midfield that I think were underrated for the last five years,” he told Sky Sports. “Liverpool in the last five years are a midfield you would not have enjoyed playing against.

“Becuase they were always in front on you, always straight in front of you putting you under pressure all of the time. They’re not that this year on a consistent level.”

Liverpool midfield has been underrated

This has been true for five years, as Souness says. People point to lack of goals and assists from midfield but that’s never been the point at Liverpool.

A versatile, hard-working, hard-pressing midfield was always the plan. They were there to support creativity from elsewhere, allowing the forwards and full-backs to focus forward, rather than back.

They were always capable of shifting the playing style, too. Liverpool’s midfield three could play a possession game, a counter-attacking game, they could push high or sit deep. And they could move between the systems within the same game.

That allowed Liverpool to change on the fly without needing new personnel.

This season, though, has been different. Liverpool haven’t found a consistent combination, while the versatility and energy just doesn’t seem to be there. With the likes of Jordan Henderson and Thiago moving through their 30s, it does feel like the Reds need a major signing – or two – to get their midfield back on track.