Reds fans on edge ahead of nervy month
Liverpool fans can claim October can't get much worse than September -- when they've won just one game in six -- but they might be surprised.
If they do not start the next month well, starting with a trip to Newcastle this Sunday, there's every chance Liverpool's struggles will continue. There's little wrong in their play overall but dominance isn't being transferred into wins and every mistake is being punished. Confidence is being eroded.
There will be inevitable comparisons between the contesting managers, Jurgen Klopp and Rafa Benitez. Despite Brendan Rodgers taking Liverpool's title bid to the final game of the 2013-14 season, it is the Benitez side of 2008-09 that most Liverpool fans regard as their best since the club last won the league in 1990.
There are a disconcerting number of players from that side who have never been properly replaced. This team has a lot of capable, even exciting, individuals but few compare favourably with their 2009 counterparts.
A central midfield of Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano, Steven Gerrard at his peak, Fernando Torres lethal in front of goal, Pepe Reina between the posts, Dirk Kuyt's boundless enthusiasm and Jamie Carragher a rock in central defence.
All of which stirs uneasy, exasperated nostalgia among Reds fans who are beginning to feel aggrieved that seven games into the league season, Liverpool already look off the pace.
The one September win, 3-2 at Leicester, was a wild ride typical of most games under Klopp and one that probably gave his upcoming Spanish rival a panic attack just watching as a neutral.
The fans' focus switched to the attack on Tuesday after a frustrating 1-1 draw with Spartak Moscow. Instead of chastising a leaky defence, a wasteful forward line was the subject of most fans' ire for once.
The irony of Klopp picking his most lethal attacking side yet and coming away with one goal and one point in a one-sided match wasn't lost on many.
There is a danger now that weakness at the back is affecting the calm and precision of the forwards. If desperation to score is causing uncertainty, knowing that Liverpool need at least two goals to get a result, Klopp faces problems at both ends of the pitch.
The freakish nature of the Spartak game meant it may be dismissed as a one-off, but the goals will need to flow again before that straw can be clutched.
Of the Premier League's top six sides last season, Liverpool were the only one not to have a top class goal-scorer up.
Roberto Firmino became Liverpool's main central forward but he can't begin to be mentioned in the same breath as Harry Kane or Sergio Aguero, for example. His all round game often protects him from criticism in this department but whenever that lapses -- as it has in September -- complaints come bubbling back to the surface.
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Klopp's position will continue to be that if he can get 12-15 goals from each of his four main attacking threats who all started in Moscow, plus contributions from the Adam Lallana and Daniel Sturridge, that should be enough for a decent season in the league.
That, sadly, is being diluted by a leaky defence and confusion over the goalkeeping position, weakening Liverpool's ability to compete as a result.
Fans are beginning to feel the German simply doesn't have the personnel to erect a proper defensive shield in front of whichever goalkeeper he selects, none of whom are truly satisfactory anyway.
It doesn't bode well that St James' Park hasn't been a happy hunting ground for the Reds this decade. The North East club are erratic, being relegated twice in the last eight years, but apart from one bizarre 6-0 hammering in 2013, Liverpool tend to struggle there.
Their last visit saw a humiliating 2-0 defeat even though Steve McClaren was on the verge of being fired for putting the Geordies in serious relegation trouble. Benitez was hired soon after and though he did his best, the drop couldn't be avoided.
Sunday will therefore be an obvious clash of styles, with Liverpool hoping to convert some of the chances they've created in almost every game
The last international break came at a bad time for the Reds, stalling any chance of building upon an excellent 4-0 win over Arsenal. They returned two weeks later to face a powerful Manchester City side and Liverpool haven't got back to their true level since that 5-0 thrashing.
After Newcastle comes another two week break and after that will come another midday game -- with Manchester United. The fixture schedule is not being kind.
October threatens to be an even more difficult month for Liverpool. If they can't begin it with a win, some tough questions will be asked about the rest of the season and where it's heading.
Source: espn.co.uk
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