OPINION
It’s been clear watching Liverpool since the turn of the year that certain players need to step up for Jurgen Klopp’s side. That fact was hammered home yet again at Everton on Sunday.
A report from The Times on Tuesday identified five Reds stars who need to improve and have the capabilities to make the difference for Liverpool down the stretch this season.
Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Xherdan Shaqiri, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were the players selected by the newspaper, and you have to say that they got it spot on.
Salah and Firmino are the two players out of the five who have been genuine week in-week out regulars for Klopp’s team this campaign, so the burden falls most heavily on their shoulders. They need to accept that they haven’t been good enough of late and make a real effort to turn things around.
The Egyptian, in particular, has simply not been at his sensational best recently. He played well against Watford in Liverpool’s big win, but aside from that it is difficult to think of many games in 2019 where he’s looked like his old self.
Firmino, too, needs to step up to the plate and produce the creativity and cutting edge that he is capable of. The Brazil international is a superb player, but we haven’t seen that as regularly this year.
Shaqiri is someone who has been strangely ignored by Klopp in recent weeks. Liverpool are crying out for some creativity in midfield and yet Klopp seems reluctant to throw the former Stoke City man into the fray. However, if he can get back in his manager’s good books then Shaqiri could yet play a big part in this title race.
Keita is someone who absolutely has to improve after a hugely disappointing debut season on Merseyside. The fans have been patient enough with the Guinean, now he needs to pay them back.
Finally, Oxlade-Chamberlain, who is just what the Reds need at this moment in time. His dynamism and hard running in midfield is just what the team have been lacking and he could well be the most important of all these players in the title run-in.
Klopp, though, will be tearing his hair out over all five of these Liverpool stars as we enter the final few months of the season. Something needs to change for the Reds and it starts with these players.
