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The former Reds midfielder believes form will return to Jurgen Klopp’s squad, with a win all it takes to get them back on track.
Liverpool’s weaknesses have been highlighted by Ray Houghton, with the former Reds star pointing out that Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold haven’t been at their best lately, while inspiration in the middle of the park has been lost.
Jurgen Klopp’s once dominant team have seen high standards fall in recent weeks, with five Premier League games coming and going without a win.
Mohamed Salah and company have failed to find their target in four of those matches, with problems at both ends of the field hitting the Premier League champions hard.
Injuries have been a concern during the 2020-21 campaign, but unusual drops in form have also posed many problems for a team that was not used to experiencing such struggles.
Full-backs Robertson and Alexander-Arnold haven’t been as productive as they were during a trophy-collecting period, while questions are being asked about players like Thiago Alcantara and the lack of momentum in the engine room.
Houghton, who won two titles with the Reds in his playing days, has said Sport RTE of Liverpool’s problems: “If you lose [Virgil] van Dijk and you lose [Joel] Matip and [Joe] Gomez, which is the heartbeat of the central defense, what he does then is bring Fabinho back from central midfield to central and the same with Jordan Henderson and that could weaken the midfield a bit.
And one of the areas where Liverpool are not doing so well is that they are not moving from midfield to advanced positions. That’s something they were doing with the three forwards moving a little closer, leaving the gaps to enter.
“Two of the wingers, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson, were two of the best going forward and producing opportunities. But their final ball is not of the best quality right now, hence the reason they are not getting those clear opportunities within the 18-yard area. “
While spotting flaws in Liverpool’s 2020-21 class, Houghton believes that a morale-boosting win, potentially in an FA Cup fourth-round clash with Manchester United, will see a star-studded squad return to the track.
He added: “Based on what happened when I was in Liverpool, I remember going through seasons where in the first half you weren’t as good as you should have been and then you get galvanized and come together.
“I heard James Milner and one or two of the other Liverpool players say that it is time for the players to stand up, we have to put things right on the field, and he is absolutely right.
“This will put the Liverpool players to the test because the last two and a half seasons have been fantastic, winning the Champions League, winning the league.
“I think there is enough quality in this Liverpool team, once they start winning again and get that winning feeling back, they will have a very good run.”
