Stuart Pearce believes that other teams should be wary of Liverpool as they have not reached their full potential this season.
He says that Jurgen Klopp is making the most of the depth in his squad and is able to rotate it efficiently without compromising on quality while adding that it is “worrying” that the Reds have not reached their peak from last season.
Pearce singled out the likes of goalkeeper Alisson for “adding something special” to the team and drooling over young 21-year-old centre-back Joe Gomez, who he thinks is a “world-class central defender.”
“The goalkeeper [Alisson Becker] and [Virgil] Van Dijk have added something special to the team, a solidity at the back. Joe Gomez is developing into a world-class central defender,” he said on Sky Sports‘ ‘The Debate‘.
“They’ve also got a squad of players who can dip in and out, [Xherdan] Shaqiri, [Daniel] Sturridge will get you a goal and then go three or four games without playing. He’s utilising the squad nicely.
“I don’t think Liverpool have hit the form. I think they’re where they are now, seven and eight out of team. They haven’t hit the nines and tens they did last year. That would be the worrying thing for me for the other sides in and around them.”
OPINION
Pearce is right – Liverpool have not reached their best form yet. Yes, at times they have been exceptional this season and there is no denying that they are playing rather well, but looking back on last term, they still have the potential to be even better. Considering that they are unbeaten in the Premier League as it is, this is a concerning prospect for the sides around them, just like Pearce pointed out. Manchester City may have been installed as favourites for the title, but anyone would be mad not to put Liverpool in the mix. With “world-class” defenders like Gomez and players like Alisson who “add something special”, the Reds are in a better position than they have been in for a long time. Klopp is extremely lucky that he can rotate his squad without compromising on the quality of the players too much, something which he has done many times this season already. Even with slightly weakened teams, he has managed to get a result – and this bodes rather well for his team.
