Following a renewed air of belief for Liverpool after their 2-0 win over Ipswich Town in the Premier League and 2-1 win over Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, Andoni Iraola’s side stumbled to a disappointing goalless draw against Fulham at Anfield at the weekend.
For the Reds, it was their third league draw of the season already, and it was the Cottagers' first point of the season under new manager Alvaro Arbeloa, which pretty much paints the full picture for The Reds failing to get the job done at home.
In what was a lackluster effort, Iraola's men cut a collectively tired figure, perhaps still feeling leggy from the midweek efforts in the Champions League. While they did look decent in defense and record their second league clean sheet of the season, they look disjointed in midfield, slow in attack, and void of any real creativity.
Aside from Víctor Muñoz hitting the crossbar from a header early in the first half and a couple of chances from Alexander Isak that were relatively close, Liverpool did not do enough to test keeper Bernd Leno. On the other side of the ball, Jérémy Jacquet came to the rescue with a goal line clearance to deny Gonzalo Garcia after his chance was created by Alisson Becker playing Ryan Gravenberch into danger near Liverpool’s box.
That chance for Fulham sort of summed up the match – not enough urgency from Liverpool, which invited the visitors to have every bit of confidence in their high press and moments going forward.
A Whole Bunch Of Wasted Money?
While the season is still in its infancy, there’s a growing sense of frustration around Merseyside. The club has spent upwards of £648 million on key signings the last two summer transfer windows to bring in the likes of Isak, Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Hugo Ekitike, Bradley Barcola, Muñoz, and Ronald Araujo, but it just hasn’t been good enough.
While the transfer markets keep getting hyper inflated with each passing window, the amount Liverpool has spent with a lack of real production is certainly cause for concern’ it’s inexcusable, especially for the players that were brought in last summer.
The Fans Had Their Say After Flat Fulham Performance
As expected, a lot of Liverpool fans were not happy at all after the draw with Fulham, knowing full well that, on paper, that’s a match that should have been a win for Iraola’s side. Dropping too many points at home adds up in the Premier League if you’re a side that wants to be in and around the top end of the table in European places.
One fan wrote: “All summer, most fans said we need a midfielder badly and club just sat and watched. If everyday fans can see it how is it that professionals in recruitment can’t? It’s not just Hughes, Woodfine, and the rest also shoulder blame. Negligent.”
Another added: “What’s the point of buying this attacking firepower if we can’t even dominate the game? Ignoring the midfield was a pathetic move from Liverpool.”
One reacted: “That midfield is going to cost Liverpool all season. We only had four months to buy someone. [Ryan] Gravenberch looks lost in there, and he’s incredibly lucky to be getting a game.”
Another replied: “Liverpool’s midfield has been woeful today. [Dominik] Szoboszlai must’ve lost every duel there. Gravenberch likewise. Wirtz anonymous particularly first half. So sloppy when combining. Can’t tackle between them.”
One said: “This midfield balance is going to cost us games. I don’t think Mac Allister is sparkling, but at least he’s sitting behind the ball and can move the play left to right with a pass. It was the most obvious area of concern in our team. Yet we’ve somehow weakened in the window in the position. Baffling”
Liverpool are next in action on Tuesday (September 15th) when they face Tottenham Hotspur in the third round of the Carabao Cup. Iraola will want to see a response from his side after a disappointing display against Fulham.
