Ian Wright thinks he knows why Liverpool have become “very easy” to play against this season as their struggles continued against Brighton on Saturday.
Jurgen Klopp’s side are enduring a troubling campaign in 2022/23 and they suffered another setback over the weekend against Brighton.
The trip to face to Seagulls has proven to be difficult for every team in the Premier League and the hosts were brilliant as they brushed aside Liverpool.
Solly March scored a brace and Danny Welbeck netted late on as Brighton triumphed 3-0 and they are now above Liverpool in the Premier League table.
Liverpool have already conceded that they are out of the title race as they are 19 points adrift of leaders Arsenal.
It is also going to be tough for them to qualify for the Champions League as ten points now separate them and fourth-placed Man Utd.
This comes after the Reds came close to winning the Premier League title last season. They were edged out by Man City on the final day.
Ian Wright has now suggested that the years of “chasing City down” have “taken its toll” on Liverpool.
“We’re talking about a Liverpool side that was unbelievable in terms of the pressing up front and the midfield backing up, then they’re winning the ball high,” Wright declared via Match of the Day.
“When we look at how far they are off people, you feel like they’re not getting close enough. I feel like it’s very tough for them.
“Those seasons chasing City down, I think that has taken its toll. Especially still trying to play the high line when you ain’t getting midfielders close enough to other midfielders to stop them from playing that ball over the top or playing that ball through the lines.
“It just seems like it’s very easy to get through at the minute.”
Gary Neville does not agree with Wright, however. The Man Utd legend instead feels that Liverpool are going through a “dip”.
“I don’t know about that because I was at Manchester United for 20 years, under a manager who demanded that effort every day and there were a group of players who were there for ten or 15 years,” Neville said.
“There was the odd season of a dip and that could be this. It is stark sometimes to see it because they are a mess at the back, they look like you could score a goal against them every single attack and they’re going to have to regroup.
“It is really odd and strange because we couldn’t speak any more highly of Jurgen Klopp and what he has done at Liverpool and the effort he has extracted from his team.”
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