Wow 2017 has started badly!

Well, well, well we didn't see this coming after beating Man City on the 31st did we? It's amazing in football how everything seems to go perfectly and everyone's happy or everything goes wrong and we struggle to see the light. At the moment it's become the latter and I have a few points to consider why it is occurring.

1. Lack of leadership.

Oh for the days of Gerrard and Carragher. Where has the passion gone? A semi final, chance of a trophy and the players aren't even up for it? What was that hour long meeting after the Swansea game even for? It didn't work did it. I've never seen such a passionless, poor performance in a semi final before. But the one thing that annoyed me was the fact not one of our players grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and took control. I thought Henderson would be a good captain, but when you need him most he disappears. Passes sideways and how many times did you see him give the ball to Trent to get something going. An 18 year old? He has had a great season and I know he is injured atm but you need to step up in games like this. We have to get that sorted in the summer. The players can't keep relying on Klopp to motivate them. The players have to step up.

2. Players mentality.

Kind of in with point 1 but it has been shown the players can't cope with the pressure when the onus is on them. Yeah when the atmosphere is good and we are playing good football it looks great. But it says more about the players when it isn't going well and you need to man up and fight through the bad times. That's the problem, we have a young team still developing and lack character and also a star man who can win us a game. Until we bring some proper winners in we won't anything.

3. Pace.

It's obviously no coincidence we have struggled since Mane has left. 1 win in 7 games this month so far against Plymouth is awful but why can't Klopp see we have become so predictable? Early on in the season the players were fresher, we were playing once a week and we had confidence. But what made us so good was the way we moved the ball. The fluidity of the players. We had runners from all over the pitch and the team knew what they were supposed to do. The play has become too slow and now it's all played in front of the oppositions defence. You saw how easy it was for Southampton tonight and Swansea on Saturday, it was all played in front of them. There must be a reason why we have lost that penetration that made us so dangerous. Have we run out of steam? Is the busy schedule affecting us? Or is it just Mane not playing that has seen us dropped off?

Sorry it is so long but Liverpool always seem to disappoint just when they make you think they are on to something. Would have been great to win a cup and play United at Wembley. Oh well well done Southampton and onto to Saturday. YNWA