talkSPORT presenter Adrian Durham has had his say on Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s ‘moan-up’ about the fixture congestion affecting his front three.
The ‘Drive’ presenter feels that the international tournaments that Reds attackers Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane have been involved in this summer could impact the team’s Premier League title challenge next season.
“That front three; they are totally dependent and reliant on that front three, and by the time the season starts they’re going to be knackered already,” he told talkSPORT [23/07; 16:17]. “So he’s having a moan-up about the schedule, that ain’t gonna ease the problems.
“What will ease the problems is if they go out and sign a couple of really good players who can play in those positions. Why aren’t they in for [Wilfried] Zaha or [Gareth] Bale? Why has [Nabil] Fekir gone to Spain for just, what, £18million?”
OPINION
Durham certainly has a point on the Liverpool front three being extremely tired come the start of the new campaign, that’s indisputable. Salah and Mane were involved into the deep stages of the African Cup of Nations this summer – Mane making it to the final – while Firmino won the Copa America with Brazil, as well. So they’ve all played in tournaments over the past month or so, despite featuring regularly across the Premier League and Champions League – with their run in the latter only culminating in their victory in June. So there is certainly a case to be made that they will all be below their best at the start of the new season. However, there’s simply no point them signing a high-priced player like the ones Durham mentions. They would feature heavily at first, but then recede into a back up role once Messrs Salah, Firmino and Mane are back to their best. Why pay big money for someone to perform that role when Klopp already has Divock Origi, Rhian Brewster, Harry Wilson, Ryan Kent and Xherdan Shaqiri?
