Former Liverpool forward Luis Garcia has admitted he’s concerned by his old club’s fragility in defence this pre-season.
The Reds have conceded 10 goals across four games this summer, shipping four in a loss against Bayern Munich yesterday. And having watched that game in Singapore, Garcia told ESPN FC that he has some genuine concerns heading into the season.
“A little bit [concerned], once again we can look back and see the goals that we’ve seen today. Two of them in the first half it was because of the gap that Alexander-Arnold allowed because he is getting into the middle so there’s a massive gap that he doesn’t close,” railed the Spaniard.
“Last year with Konate they understood very well that he [Konate] could play almost as a full-back and then closing down the situation but once again they received today two goals in that position. In the second half, once again that gap and once again another goal, it’s a massive concern.
“I’m sure that Jurgen Klopp is going to try and find a way to fix it but it’s still a big concern for the present season.”
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Liverpool looking shaky at the back
Garcia won’t be alone in his concern for Liverpool’s shakiness in defence. Unfortunately, we still look just as open as we did during the darkest periods of last season.
Of course, there are a couple of mitigating factors. It must be remembered that it is still pre-season and it’s rare that the outcomes of these games actually tell us too much about the way the campaign will go.
As Dominik Szoboszlai pointed out a few weeks back, the famous Klopp triple-sessions are a tough ask for the players. Two weeks out from the new season, they’ll still be just about shaking that rust out of their legs.
They are also still trying to get used to a new system. It may take them a little while longer to adjust to the different demands of Alexander-Arnold playing more centrally.
Nevertheless, the reason this is a genuine issue for supporters is that it isn’t a new thing. We saw this happening last year and it ended up really costing Liverpool.
Thankfully, they look certain to score goals this time. In the four games they’ve played, the Reds have managed 15 goals. That isn’t bad going.
So, if they can just learn to shut up shop at the other end, they’ll be absolutely fine. A new defensive midfielder and perhaps a new centre-back would go a long way to remedying it. And that’s two things we may well see happen. No need to panic just yet, Luis.