Nicol: Klopp needs a quiet word with his front three

Steve Nicol believes that the lack of chances created by Liverpool’s much heralded front three are largely behind the poor form of late.

Analysis has come thick and fast following the Reds 1-0 defeat to Southampton on Monday night.

The tally of two points from nine over the festive period is far from what anyone would have expected on the back of Liverpool’s 7-0 thumping of Crystal Palace.

Since Sadio Mane’s strike in the 12th minute against West Brom on Boxing Day, Liverpool have been held scoreless and some of the attacking statistics are quite revealing.

The Reds have failed to score in back-to-back Premier League games for the first time since May 2018.

Their first shot on target against the Saints came in the 75th minute which is the latest they have produced in a Premier League match since December 2015.

And having eight shots on target in their 7-0 victory over Crystal Palace, the reigning champions have managed just seven attempts on target in their last three league matches.

Roberto Firmino, Mo Salah and Mane have been such a key element to the success of the side over the past few years and so much depends on their output with goals from midfield becoming a collectors item.

It is therefore why Liverpool legend Nicol speaking as a pundit on ESPN FC (via the Mirror), said that they need to raise their game.

"I think it’s pretty clear where the problems are. It’s up front.

“The front three are not producing, not delivering… they’re not even creating.

"Yes, at Newcastle they made opportunities but this Southampton game and the West Brom game, they never created anything. If you aren’t going to create, then you aren’t going to score goals.

"This is where Klopp comes into it as well and earns his coin. It’s all very well saying, this is wrong, this isn’t right – the fact is these three games we’re talking about, they’ve had over 70 per cent possession of the ball in every game.

“So it’s not a complete and utter shambles. The fact is Klopp now has to have a quiet word and a clever word with the front three."

The renowned trio were not the only talking point coming out of the fixture on the South Coast, with Trent Alexander-Arnold having a difficult evening.

The right-back is another player who has been a key element to what Liverpool have produced during their successful period, but David James believes the intense workload of late is possibly getting on top of the 22 year-old.

“He got loads of plaudits and was an integral part of Liverpool’s success in the Premier League, Champions League, World Club Championship and has represented England.

"He’s not a bad player, but at the same time he hasn’t had any respite. He had the injury earlier in the season but young players are going to have off form. Unfortunately for Trent he is going through that.

“Maybe the calf strain he picked up against  Manchester City, he hasn’t been used to anything else other than playing for Liverpool, and then an injury takes him into a different space.

"I don’t think he has recovered from that mentally or in his normal life habit.”

The former Liverpool, West Ham, Portsmouth and England keeper says that despite everything he has achieved, Trent is still very young in a Football sense and possibly needs to be rested.

“For Trent, as a young player, there is an argument that you could take him out of the firing line for a week or two. The FA Cup is coming up, maybe that is a good opportunity to let him settle down.

“For Gareth Southgate, he will be asking whether Trent is the right player to bring back into the England squad right now.

“Everyone is entitled to one bad game. Trent’s performances of late, when you collect them together, haven’t been great.

“Do you drop him, or do you rest him? 

"The word dropped sounds somewhat final. I think it’s giving someone a breather. I think he needs a rest.”