Liverpool have plenty of issues but some of them are schoolboy errors.
The Reds were played off the park when they went to Brentford on Saturday evening, with the 3-2 scoreline certainly not a true representation of how poor they were.
This is now four losses in a row in the league, with Arne Slot under the spotlight and needing to make some changes before it is too late.
However, there is one far bigger issue that is one of the reasons why Liverpool are struggling so much, with it perhaps not being spotted as much by fans.
Former Red Sammy Lee picked up on it, though, and he believes that it simply is not good enough whatsoever.
Liverpool are losing every second ball
When things are not going right, the bare minimum should be that the players give their all and prove that they are not giving up without a fight.
In recent weeks, this has not been the case for many of Liverpool’s stars, with there being far too many occasions where they are beaten to the first and then second balls.
This may seem fairly minor but it can be so important in controlling the game, with Lee believing that the majority of the players are not pulling their weight.
“Apart from Szoboszlai, we lost almost every second ball,” he told LFCTV.
“We’re on the attack, they clear the ball, and then they win it and counter against us.
“Long balls and second balls we very rarely won, and it is a basic principle of football. Nearly every single time we lost them and then it was a counter-attack. We have to be positive, but we have to be realistic.”
Brentford well and truly beat Liverpool in all areas of the pitch because of this exact reason, with teams starting to target it knowing that it is the Reds’ weakness.
Andy Robertson agrees that Liverpool need to work harder
It is one thing others seeing it, but the players themselves need to as well, but luckily Andy Robertson is so honest that he has admitted the same.
The vice-captain admitted after the game that performances simply have not been good enough, with a reason for this being as it looked like they did not want it enough.
“You can’t come to Brentford away and just expect to play them off the park because they are always going to be ready to fight,” he told LFCTV.
“They’re always going to be ready to put bodies in the box when it comes to set pieces, put the balls in behind, pick up second balls. You know what you’re going to come to, here. They’re always the same and they’re so good at it.
“It felt to me like we were just a yard off it in terms of that. They picked up so many second balls, and then the balls in behind.
“Our backline are running back to try and head the ball, which is so difficult as it is. We know how difficult… how good a set-piece team they are.”
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