Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold criticised as Liverpool held by Crystal Palace – but Jurgen Klopp told to sign ‘perfect fit’ Jude Bellingham
Liverpool’s struggles continued as they followed up the Champions League loss to Real Madrid by drawing 0-0 with Crystal Palace.
The Reds were forced into changes with Darwin Nunez, who scored a fine goal in midweek, missing due to a shoulder injury.
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A disjointed Jurgen Klopp side served up another poor showing as they failed to break down a resolute Eagles side who looked dangerous on the counter.
And former Chelsea star Scott Minto believes the German boss must now take a long hard look at himself and his squad ahead of huge summer transfer window.
He told talkSPORT: “First of all, Jurgen Klopp needs to look in the mirror and see if he can go again. I genuinely believe he can and he’s earnt the right to do that with what he’s done. It’s one bad season.
“He needs to rebuild in the way Sir Alex Ferguson has done [at Manchester United]. He needs to go to the board and say, ‘how much money have I got?’
“It’s all very well saying Liverpool need two midfielders – how much is Jude Bellingham going to cost? How much is a Declan Rice, or someone like that, going to cost?
“If you’re going to bring in another central defender or someone else, how much money do they have to play with? Because as much as we say this, we’re playing Football Manager here. How much money has he got? Does he have to sell players before he can buy?
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“For Liverpool to be up there, I’d love to see a Jude Bellingham go there. I think the fit would be perfect. He’s exactly the type of player he needs.
“But where else does he need to do it? The defenders need to step up their performances. Even Virgil van Dijk, not long ago one of the best central defenders in world football, he’s a million miles from where he was.
“Trent, I’m sorry, it’s not lazy punditry to say that defensively he’s not very good. I’d be fascinated to know if he came off tonight with a niggle or not, or whether it was a tactical thing to put James Milner at right back when you’re chasing a game.”
Sloppy passing from Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, and Joel Matip could have led to a win for Palace, but somehow the match finished goalless.
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Jean-Philippe Mateta hit the crossbar with one effort and saw another deflected behind with the goal gaping.
Liverpool did have their moments of menace but Diogo Jota’s header from a tight angle hit the woodwork, while Jordan Henderson accidentally got in the way of an Alexander-Arnold shot.
In the second period, Mohamed Salah hit the crossbar as Klopp’s side looked to take back control of the game – but Palace were willing to fight and counter their opponents whenever they could.
Despite changes, including more minutes for impressive starlet Stefan Bajcetic, the Reds just couldn’t find a winner with Cody Gakpo also missing a fine chance.
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At the opposite end, while there also wasn’t an end product, Palace’s marvellous Michael Olise was the stand out performer.
The result leaves Liverpool in seventh spot, six points behind fourth-placed Tottenham, while Patrick Vieira’s Eagles sit 12th as they edge away from the relegation zone.
February 26, 2023 at 03:09AM Premier League Table, Fixtures, News, Results, Opinion - talkSPORT https://ift.tt/5gZP7Db
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