“I think it’s really simple with Liverpool” – Jermaine Jenas identifies key reason behind Jurgen Klopp and company’s struggles this season
Former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Jermaine Jenas has cited the key reasons behind Liverpool's difficult start to the 2022-23 Premier League season. The Englishman believes the Reds are reeling from the loss of Sadio Mane, who completed a move to Bayern Munich for £35 million in the summer window.
Liverpool have won just two out of their opening seven Premier League encounters and are currently ninth in the standings. The Reds are struggling to regain their form as manager Jurgen Klopp seeks to bridge the huge gap between his side and rivals Manchester City, who are second in the league table.
Sadio Mane on Liverpool:
“Honestly, I will never forget my time there. I learned a lot – as a man and as a football player. The supporters were amazing, the people from the city were amazing. It is a club that will stay in my heart forever.” #lfc [uefa] https://t.co/FCdMRFPRLb
Speaking on Rio Ferdinand's YouTube channel, Vibe with Five, Jenas said (via The Boot Room):
“Selling Mane was the biggest mistake they’ve ever made. So when you talk about the press now and people might go: ‘Well, Luis Diaz does this, that and the other.' Nobody set the press or set the example or worked as hard as Mane did. And they got themselves into a bit of a pickle from a contractual point of view."
He added:
“I just think their business has just knocked them for six a little bit."Darwin Nunez is not working. Midfield, how they didn’t highlight the midfield knowing the injuries that they’ve had consistently for years, how they’ve not highlighted that and got some youth in there. Their recruitment this year has been poor.”
Mane enjoyed a successful career at Liverpool and played a crucial role in Klopp's domestic and European triumphs. The Senegalese attacker has recorded 120 goals and 49 assists in 269 appearances across competitions for the Anfield outfit.
"We will try to do better" - Liverpool boss pledges to recover from poor form
Klopp has promised Liverpool fans that he will strive to bring the Reds back to winning ways after a poor start to the current campaign.
The Merseyside outfit drew 3-3 against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League at Anfield on Saturday (October 1). Although Roberto Firmino managed to bag a brace and Brighton's Adam Webster scored an own goal, Klopp's men could not withstand Leandro Trossard's hat-trick heroics.
Liverpool won't sack Jurgen Klopp any time soon, but are they now in permanent decline? 📉
✍️ @neiljonesgoal
Following the fixture, the German boss said (via Liverpool's official website):
"We have to really keep going through together. That's all what I can say. We have to improve, that only happens if we perform, we have to perform more consistently. I cannot say what everybody wants to hear now, it's just the reality and how I said, that process started already, interrupted by press conferences and interviews."
"But from tonight on, we will prepare for Rangers and we will try to do better. I know then Arsenal is coming and we saw glimpses of their game against Tottenham, they are outstanding at the moment so that is obviously not an easy game. But we will give it a proper try."