Liverpool's midfield is their biggest weakness after a hugely disappointing start to their 2022/23 season, journalist Dean Jones has claimed.
The Lowdown: Liverpool under-fire
Jurgen Klopp's side were beaten 4-1 away to Napoli in the Champions League on Wednesday night, in what was their poorest showing of the campaign so far.
It has been such a sluggish beginning to the season, with so many individuals underperforming and the team as a whole completely lacking any cohesion.
Midfield has looked particularly weak, with Thiago a huge loss in that area and James Milner starting more games than he should at his age and position in the pecking order.
The Latest: Journalist bemoans midfield
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Jones labelled the drop off in performance 'alarming' and pointed the finger at the middle of the park:
"The drop off is alarming. The injuries have obviously hurt them, particularly in midfield, which has become such a weakness.
"It’s nothing like the drive in that midfield that there has been in the past and that has been there since the very first game against Fulham."
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The Verdict: Huge area of concern
It was so apparent that Liverpool needed at least one top-class midfield signing this summer, with Arthur essentially brought in as a last-minute panic move.
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Failure to address the situation has left the Reds in a worrying situation, with far too many injury-prone midfielders in the squad, whether it be Thiago, Naby Keita, Curtis Jones or Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, as well as some others who are simply past their best.
Thiago being back fit will certainly help, but unless Klopp gets fortunate with those aforementioned players remaining injury-free upon their return, poor midfield transfer activity could derail their whole season.