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Daily Mail, Thursday, March 5, 2020^
Rooney rules:
Wayne has
taken well to
coaching
rex feaTures‘If Ferguson
spoke to Nani
how he spoke to
me, Nani would
be in tears’
Football
WHERE HAS IT
ALL GONE WRONG
FOR LIVERPOOL?*
*Yes, we realise that being
22pts clear is hardly a crisis!
S
ometimes it pays
to delve into Anfield
history. there are
a l w a y s w o r d s t o
provide perspective,
and one famous phrase fits
Liverpool’s situation.
inevitably, it is attributed to Bill
shankly. He was asked, during a
spell when things were not going
Liverpool’s way, how a sequence
of disappointing results was
affecting him and his players. ‘Aye,’
came the gruff, withering reply.
‘Here we are having problems at
the top of the league.’
t he b o o m a n d b u s t
n a t u r e o f m o d e r n
football means Liverpool
— after back-to -back
defeats and 180 minutes
without a goal — are in the
spotlight. the achieve -
ments from August to
February no longer seem
relevant. the here and now
is all that matters.
i t i s i n d i s p u t a b l e t h a t
Liverpool are not playing with
the verve that set their mid-
winter performances apart, but is
it really that bad? Sportsmail
analyses what has gone wrong and
what shape they are in to confront
the looming challenges.DEFENSIVE DISRUPTION
From December 7 to February
15, Liverpool’s first-team squad
played 17 games in 70 days. the
only teams to score against them
were monterrey in the Club World
Cup, Wolves in the Premier League
and shrewsbury in the FA Cup.
they were so mean domestically
that raul Jimenez was the only
Premier League striker to breach
their back four in 990 minutes. to
ship eight goals in the last four
matches, then, is regarded as
unacceptable by Virgil van Dijk
and his colleagues.
‘ L o o k , ’ s a i d J u r g e n K l o p p
(above) after Chelsea bounced
Liverpool out of the FA Cup on
tuesday night. ‘Usually you don’t
get a lot of chances against us, but
we have to admit in the last three
games, maybe four, we have
conceded too many goals.’
that criticism was also levelled
at Liverpool earlier in the cam-
paign. it was fixed then and it can
be fixed again. some players are
not in their best form, including
key defensive midfielder Fabinho,
who recently returned from injury,
but Klopp will not be fretting.MISSING THE CAPTAIN
tHose who work with Jordan
Henderson every day will tell you
he has been in the zone all season
and his determination to lead Liv-
erpool to win the Premier League
has been relentless. He sets
standards on and off the field and
his outstanding form could mean
he wins PFA Player of the Year.
H e n d e r s o n i s m a k i n g g o o d
progress recovering from thehamstring injury he sustained in
the 1-0 defeat by Atletico madrid
on February 18. He has done all
the medical department has asked
but there is no indication when he
will next play, although he hopes
to be ready for the return leg with
Atletico next Wednesday.
Henderson’s absence in the last
three games has been increasingly
noticeable and the onus is on
those who have replaced him.
‘We can’t deny he’s been out-
standing this year,’ Van Dijk said.
‘He is our captain. We appreciate
everything he does for us. But we
have quality players all over the
pitch — the reality is everyone else
has to step up.’DISRUPTIVE BREAK
KLoPP has campaigned for his
players to be given time off but
history shows that his Liverpool
side do not hit the ground running
after a holiday. take last season:
they went to Dubai in January
during an 11-day hiatus but on
returning they drew five of their
next seven games.
in February 2017, they had 16
days off in February and were
lacerated 3-1 by Leicester when
they resumed. it takes them time
to get up a head of steam but,
when they do, the good results
come in a steady stream.
they are also never better than
when they have a target to pursue.
if they struggle to rouse them-
selves for Atletico’s visit, facing a
1-0 aggregate deficit, that would
indicate their problems are deep.SHUTTING OUT THE NOISE
HenDerson has banned all talk
of Liverpool becoming champions,
so there is little chance he will
allow any doubts to creep in
because they have taken a couple
of false steps. He calls regular
meetings with the squad and will
remind them of what is coming.
nevertheless, it is interesting to
see how a narrative is suddenly
being cultivated that a team with
a 22-point advantage at the top of
the table — one that took 109
points from 111 available — could
have an anti-climactic campaign if
they ‘only’ become champions.
‘so we “just” end up with the
Premier League? Yeah? Just?’ Van
Dijk said with incredulity. ‘We also
won the super Cup and the Club
World Cup. there are always
people that are not satisfied. Let’s
focus on “just” the Premier League,
because it’s very small, huh?’
shankly, you suspect, would nod
his head at that appraisal.by
DOMINIC
KING
HIS HIGHS AND LOWS
UNITED REGRETS?
We might get that 2011-12 medal
now! (With Manchester City’s
possible FFP punishment). To be
honest, I wouldn’t really want to win
it now. Whatever’s happened with
Man City, it’s the players who won it
on the pitch and they deserve it.
There was the time when I nearly left
the club, which I regret.FAVOURITE GOAl?
TeChnIC ally, the volley against
newcastle in 2005. But probably the
Manchester City goal (the bicycle
kick in 2011). It was the derby, the
winning goal and we were fighting
with City to win the Premier league.FAVOURITE GAME?
The 2008 Champions league final
against Chelsea, probably. and arsenal
v Chelsea in 2007! We’d played City
the day before and I remember
sitting at home watching it thinking if
Chelsea didn’t win we’d won the
league. That was a good memory!FAVOURITE TEAM-MATE?
I Can tell you who’s not! There were
so many I’m close with — Wes Brown,
Darren Fletcher, Michael Carrick,
John O’Shea. We had a good core of
players who did things off the pitch
together and we’re still in touch now.DERBY COUNTY
v MAN UTD
Kick-off: 7.45pm, Pride Park stadium.
TV: lI Ve on BT sport 1 from 7pm.
Referee: Craig Pawson.afP/GeTTY IMaGes