Liverpool return to Premier League action tomorrow high on confidence, after a week in which even Mario Balotelli has looked a decent player.
Brendan Rodgers sees his side travel to fourth placed Southampton tomorrow, with the Reds knowing a win over Ronald Koeman’s side will see them move to within one point of the Saints – and those coveted Champions League positions.
In what has been a positive week at Anfield, the Reds followed up a key win over Tottenham with progression to the FA Cup quarter finals, and a Europa League first leg victory over Besiktas at Anfield.
Balotelli has been a key figure in the Reds last three results, scoring two winning goals and providing an assist for Adam Lallana in the cup tie at Selhurst Park.
A decent week aside though, Balotelli was a prominent feature of the Reds disastrous start to the season which still has them playing catch up.
Here are five players who have been something of a let down for the Reds during the 2014-15 season so far.
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Click on Brendan Rodgers to reveal 5 players who have let Liverpool down in 2014/15 so far
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Mario Balotelli
Despite his impact in the last 10 days, Balotelli has been a major disappointment on the whole since his £16million switch from AC Milan in the summer.
13 Premier League games without a goal, and a couple of controversial incidents such as swapping shirts with Real Madrid’s Pepe at half time and a social media gaffe have blighted his return to England.
The Italian knows he is fighting for his Liverpool future, and it will take the kind of form he has produced of late from now until the end of the season to keep him at Anfield beyond the end of the season.
Simon Mignolet
Like Balotelli, Simon Mignolet has shown a big improvement in recent weeks having been told previously he is playing for his Anfield future.
But his form up until December 14 – when he was dropped ‘indefinitley’ by Brendan Rodgers only to return 12 days later following an injury to Brad Jones – was nothing short of dreadful.
The Belgian made more mistakes than any goalkeeper in the Premier League, as Liverpool made a wretched start to the season.
The improvement since then has been huge, but it is now about maintaining that form for the rest of the season for the former Sunderland goalkeeper.
Jose Enrique
The Spaniard missed seven months of last season through injury, and returned this season ready to fight the likes of Alberto Moreno and Glen Johnson for the left back spot.
Enrique has looked a shadow of his former self whenever he has featured however – which has been rarely – unable to take players on going forward, no quality whatsoever from crosses, and vulnerable defensively.
Having spent so much of his Liverpool career on the treatment table, Reds fans are entitled to expect more from a player the club have shown so much patience towards.
Glen Johnson
Plenty of Liverpool fans see it as no coincidence that since Glen Johnson suffered an injury on December 14th, the Reds have gone on to boast the best defensive record in the Premier League.
The former England right back has been woeful at times this season, with his days as an attacking full back seemingly behind him.
Johnson is out of contract at the end of the season, and is said to be playing for his Liverpool future. The gripe Liverpool supporters have with the former Chelsea man is that he is one of the club’s highest earners on a reported £110,000 a week – and he has done little if anything to suggest he warrents that sort of pay package.
Dejan Lovren
Brendan Rodgers paid a massive £20million to bring Dejan Lovren to Anfield in the summer from Southampton, in the hope of improving a Liverpool defence that conceded 50 Premier League goals last term.
Lovren was expected to step into the shoes left by Jamie Carragher, and become Liverpool’s next leader at the back.
The Croatian has endured a torrid time however, with plenty of shaky defending and individual mistakes, and just two clean sheets in games he has started all season.
He currently finds himself out of the side, with Brendan Rodgers favouring a back three of Emre Can, Martin Skrtel and Mamadou Sakho.
It is no coincidence the Reds defensive record has improved dramatically in his absence.
