It was David Moyes who infamously pointed out just over a decade ago that Manchester United "must improve in a number of areas, including passing, creating chances and defending". After Sunday's shock 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace, fellow Scot Andy Robertson gave a similarly blunt appraisal of Liverpool's issues right now, acknowledging that the Reds are conceding far too many goals and not scoring nearly enough.
"That's not a good thing for success," the left-back stated in his usual matter-of-fact manner. "We are struggling to keep clean sheets. I don't know how many we have had in the last 10 or 15 games, but it won't be many. So, when you're not doing that, you have to take chances. It's that simple."
But it's not an easy issue for Jurgen Klopp to resolve. It's not like he can take to the field and stick away the chances his forwards are wasting, or atone for the unforced errors his defenders are making.
The brutal bottom line, though, is that Liverpool are going through the worst period of their season at the worst possible time, suffering from a collective loss of confidence and conviction that the manager can't quite explain - let alone fix. Indeed, after Klopp's week from hell, there's now a very real fear that a nine-year tenure full of so many unforgettable highs is going to end on a bitterly disappointing low.
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