OPINION
There is no doubting the talent of Liverpool’s attacking players – they were clearly the stars of the show in the thrashing of West Ham on Sunday afternoon.
The likes of Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino helped their side romp to a convincing 4-0 win over the Hammers in their season opener at Anfield.
However, West Ham are not the toughest opponents they are going to face, and it will not be plain sailing over the course of the season.
Despite Daniel Sturridge bagging one of the goals yesterday, Jurgen Klopp still faces the risk of being exposed if Salah or Firmino are out injured.
As Gary Neville pointed out in his Sky Sports podcast, “there is a big drop in intensity in their play when [Firmino] and Salah are not playing.”
He then added, “they need another centre-forward in case Firmino is out.”
This is why Klopp will need to search for another striker in January’s transfer window, otherwise he runs the risk of his team being less potent in front of goal.
There is no guarantee that either Salah or the Brazilian will not get injured, and if he wants the Reds to challenge Manchester City for the title, he needs another forward on the ranks.
Sturridge may have got his goal yesterday after being pushed down the pecking order last season, but it is too soon to tell whether he can be relied upon to provide suitable cover in case of an injury.
One of Liverpool’s main strengths is their intense attacking play, and they can afford to lose that should either player be sidelined.
Liverpool will have to cross their fingers that they do not injure themselves between now and January, and they must prioritise finding another striker after Christmas.
If they manage to land another talisman to add to their books, then their depth will be there for everyone to see.
