Jurgen Klopp probably won’t sleep soundly on Saturday night.
Thoughts of the potential tactical tinkering that could have spared the German’s Liverpool side’s 2-0 defeat at Hull will keep the Reds boss awake, one would imagine.
Liverpool are enduring a nightmare start to 2017, with their only victory in this calendar year coming against League Two outfit Plymouth Argyle in a replay of their FA Cup third round fixture.
The past month has seen Klopp watch his side lose to Hull, Swansea and Wolves while the Reds could only manage a draw at bottom-of-the-table Sunderland in early January.
Liverpool’s struggles against the so-called lesser teams have been well documented and club legend Jamie Carragher believes that opposition managers have simply figured out how to beat Klopp’s side.
“It’s getting to the stage now when Liverpool have got to have a different plan,” Carragher told Sky Sports.
“We talk about a Plan B but Liverpool have just one plan. It worked outstanding in the first four or five months of the season but they are in a sticky patch at the moment and I think it’s obvious how you set up against them.
“You make it difficult through the centre of the pitch and you counter attack. That’s what Hull did and they did it outstandingly well.”
Changes will have to be made by Klopp, that much is clear, because there seem to be few glimpses of light at the end of this tunnel of tragic results right now.
And Carragher has made a tactical suggestion for Klopp to take on board and it comes in relation to the Reds midfield.
“I would take Emre Can out of the midfield. I don’t think it works as a two alongside Jordan Henderson,” Carragher continued.
“I don’t understand why Georginio Wijnaldum was out of the side. I think he brings more energy and a bigger goal threat.
“Maybe change the system of three central midfielders and three attacking players? You could go for a more conventional two central midfielders, a number 10 and a front three. You would have more attacking players on the pitch against sides like Hull.
“The changes from the bench have got to come a lot quicker too. It takes too long to make a change and they will very rarely make a substitution at half-time.”
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