Arsenal legend Paul Merson has suggested that teams are not afraid of Liverpool anymore
Former Arsenal forward Paul Merson believes that Liverpool have lost their ‘fear factor’ this season. His comments came after the Reds were defeated by Nottingham Forest and Leeds United.
Things have not been good for Jurgen Klopp and his side this season. The club has struggled in the Premier League, with the 2019/20 champions currently 9th on the table with 16 points, 15 points behind leaders Arsenal.
Now, the former Gooner forward has suggested that the Merseyside club are no longer feared by their opponents. Writing in his Sky Sports column (h/t Liverpool Echo), the former player gave his opinion.
“Teams are not scared of Liverpool anymore. It’s slowly mirroring what happened with Old Trafford. As a player I used to dread going to Manchester United.”
“You used to play well there and still get beat, nowadays if you play well there you win. If you play well at Liverpool now there’s a strong chance you will win.”
“Liverpool are losing their fear factor, and this season is already worse than the season they defended the title.”
Merson is not wrong in his assessment. Klopp has established the Reds as a major powerhouse in the league and Europe since he was appointed as the head coach back in 2015.
Having won all that there is to win, some fans consider the Klopp era the greatest in the club’s long and glorious history. However, things have not been glorious this season.
The Reds have lost four league games this season so far with defeats coming to the likes of Forest, Leeds, Manchester United and Arsenal. Injuries have played a major part in the downfall this season.
First-team players like Thiago Alcantara, Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz and Ibrahima Konate have missed important games due to injuries. Jota and Diaz are still out and will likely come back now after the World Cup.
With the league title all but gone from our hands, a top-four finish could be considered a major achievement. Things have been good in Europe for the club and Klopp would be wise to put his focus there and guide his side to win their seventh Champions League and his second.
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For that, a strong home record will be important. The loss to the Whites was just our first at Anfield this season and we have to ensure that the number doesn’t increase come May.
