Liverpool faltering against Burnley at Anfield has brought plenty of heat on Arne Slot, but Alan Shearer thinks there are other factors to blame.
It was a weekend to forget for Liverpool, failing to beat a promoted side at home for the third time this season.
After the game, Anfield filled with boos aimed at Arne Slot, and it was clear who they felt was responsible for the dropped points.
Shearer pinpointed another Liverpool issue on Match of the Day, one which he has doubled down on again this week. It calls FSG’s inaction this month into question.
Alan Shearer reiterates midfield concerns with Liverpool
Discussing the fan reaction at full-time on Saturday, Shearer dissected the issues that have taken fans to their wit’s end this season.
He explained on The Rest Is Football: “The fans’ main gripe seems to be the pace of play. They’ve gone from Klopp’s dynamic football. I mean, a few months ago no one was complaining when they were brilliant last season and won the league, but I think at the moment they’re saying it’s all a little bit pedestrian.
“It looks so slow in midfield, and they’ve got very leggy. I mean, you know the energy that Liverpool had last year… and I said it last night they’re miles off it. I don’t know how many shots they had. They had something like 11 or 12 shots, ridiculous. A number of touches in the box, their finishing was poor.
“But they look very leggy in midfield and there’s no protection for that back four. They’re way off it.”
It was obvious at the weekend to anyone watching that the dominance in central areas that was so key to Liverpool’s game just isn’t there now.
Ryan Gravenberch, Curtis Jones, and Alexis Mac Allister have all looked a step slow this season.
It’s why we said Liverpool need to sign a midfielder, but it doesn’t look like that will happen until the end of the season.
You’ve got £80m to fix Liverpool’s midfield this summer, who are you buying?
Liverpool’s ‘market opportunity’ stance called into question
We know the line.
Liverpool won’t look for short-term fixes, but are ready for any market opportunity that arises in the positions of need.
- READ MORE: Liverpool transfer news and rumours: Federico Chiesa future, sobering Marc Guehi claim and more
Roy Keane said something about Man United’s manager hunt this week that carries weight in this context as well. When you’re a massive club, you don’t wait for targets to become available; you make them available.
The point being that while Liverpool’s recruitment tends to be spot on, there have been too many instances where a season has been wasted due to not having enough depth to brace the challenges a season poses, and an unwillingness to act quickly mid-season.
Look at Man City. They needed a centre-back, they wanted Antoine Semenyo. Both have been snapped up.
BE HONEST: Which Premier League teams are more attractive transfer destinations than Liverpool?
Liverpool stock is low right now 🤔
We need a centre-back and midfield depth — maybe even a full-back. But with the deadline approaching, it’s all quiet on that front.
We know Liverpool err on the side of caution with their transfer pursuits, but the lack of ambition shown in this January window sends a message to us and to Slot that this season is a foregone conclusion.
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