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It seems like it rarely rains but it tends to pour for Liverpool right now. Jurgen Klopp’s team has been decimated by injuries this season to a degree far beyond what the German has had to deal with previously during his time in England.
In the 1-0 loss to Brighton at Anfield, the Reds lined up a young goalkeeper who made his second Premier League appearance, behind his 16th Different pairs of centrals of the season.
Jordan Henderson may have a lot of experience, but he’s in midfield, while Nat Phillips is more used to the second flight in Germany than the first division in England.
None of that trio of key defensive players have more than six Premier League starts at those positions, so their lack of a clean sheet against the Seagulls should have been a bit of a surprise, even if Brighton’s goal required a slice. of fortune.
While both Fabinho and Alisson Becker were able to come back against Manchester City, the former is not a central defender by exchange, while the latter played two unusually poor passes directly to the opposition that cost Liverpool the game.
Would it have been better for Klopp to debut against Ben Davies or Ozan Kabak for the visit of the league leaders? Hindsight would suggest yes, but of course there is no way to know for sure.
They may have had a bad match and took a significant hit on their confidence, causing more damage in the long run. We can only speculate.
Nonetheless, given that the Reds have had a rare window of time to prepare for their next game in Leicester today, there could be an opportunity for one of the new signings to take his bow at that meeting.
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Davies has at least experience playing Premier League rivals, having faced Bournemouth, Norwich and most notably Manchester City over the years in the national cups.
The 25-year-old, known as the ‘Barrow Baresi’, is far more experienced than Kabak, with more than 21,000 minutes of running compared to around 6,000, and is well versed in the intensity of English football, even if the next Liverpool opponents. They are not the most physical team the Premier League can offer.
The former Preston player is also a good reader of the game and is not prone to hasty tackles, which could prove vital against the top top-flight penalty receivers in 2020/21.
Davies is also comfortable with possession and is used to spraying long passes to players in wide areas, which is a big part of how Liverpool advance the ball when it is at its best.
While Kabak possesses many similar abilities, and has the advantage of having played at the highest level in German football, as well as having four Champions League appearances under his belt, he has a tendency to be more rash.
Their record of conceding three penalties in 14 Bundesliga appearances this season is proof of that, and any exaltation could prove costly against an incisive, counter-attacking team like Leicester.
Whether Klopp chooses to throw one of his new guys in the back, it would seem essential that he return Henderson to his rightful place in midfield.
As talented as Thiago Alcantara may be, with Liverpool struggling to stay fit, it could prove to be a significant advantage if they can come up with a midfield trio that has a track record of success from years of working together.
The Reds captain is also in good creative shape today.
He has recently created clear opportunities in matches with Newcastle United and Brighton (as well as against a very young Aston Villa in the FA Cup) and played a glorious long pass to unlock Tottenham Hotspur’s backline that allowed Liverpool to take the lead. in that game.
It would be audacious to ask the Reds’ two new central defenders to start at King Power Stadium. However, Davies’ calm head and passing ability could see him claim half of Liverpool’s 17.th central defensive association of a remarkably challenging campaign.
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