What are the reasons behind Liverpool's downfall this season?

Liverpool are having an absolutely tumultuous season and the wheels seem to have come off Jurgen Klopp’s project at Anfield.

Liverpool, who were in the running for that famous quadruple until the closing stages of last season, are suddenly unrecognisable. The Reds are eighth in the Premier League, six points away from the top four spots and have gone from being league title challengers to struggling to qualify for the Champions League next season.

In the Champions League too, they have been on the end of plenty of misery. Real Madrid famously came back from two goals down to stun the Anfield into silence and submission at 5-2, marking yet another disastrous day in the office for Klopp’s side.

The Spanish opposition, who famously beat Liverpool in the final to pick up their 14^th UEFA Champions League trophy last season, absolutely tore apart their midfield and defence and there was nothing Klopp’s side could do to mount a resistance, let alone resurgence.

But what is wrong with Liverpool and why have they look like they have fallen off a cliff this season?

The midfield needs desperate reinforcements

Everyone could see it coming from a season or two ago, but Jurgen Klopp and the club’s refusal to bolster their midfield with much-needed reinforcements and options have finally plagued the side this season and amplified their existing problems more severely. The likes of James Milner, Jordan Henderson, and Fabinho are no longer the players they once were and the Liverpool midfield is in desperate need of a fresh injection of creativity and solidity.

It certainly doesn’t help that their only reliable midfielder Thiago is extremely injury prone while last season’s loan signing Arthur has spent most of his time on the sidelines. The emergence of young Stefan Bajcetic has been positive for Liverpool but the youngster cannot be relied on to bail out Liverpool’s problems in midfield week in and week out.

Long-term injuries to several crucial players

Liverpool have dealt with a plethora of long-term injuries to several important players over the course of the season. As mentioned before, the prolonged absence of Thiago and Arthur have already taken a toll on the club’s midfield department. Meanwhile, the frontline was also considerably weakened by the injuries to Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz. This has made sustainable progress very difficult for the club this season.

New signings yet to gel in

Liverpool shelled out €75 million on Uruguayan striker Darwin Nunez and between £35 million and £45 million for Dutch international Cody Gakpo. Liverpool, who are better known for doing low-cost and smarter deals, seemed to have exploited almost all of their transfer budget on the pursuit of these two attackers leaving them vulnerable in areas of greater concern.

Moreover, both Nunez and Gakpo have struggled heavily and are yet to fit into Klopp’s plans. Although it is expected of any new signing, but the transition from Sadio Mane to the young attackers has not been as smooth as many would’ve expected.

The persistent disappointment of finishing second best

Then there’s the psychological aspect where Liverpool players often have to bear the brunt of finishing close but yet ending up without a trophy. Last season was a perfect evidence of this. Liverpool, who were in the hunt for all four trophies until the end of the season, ended up finishing without the two they would’ve wanted the most.

The Premier League title slipped from their hands as Manchester City mounted a comeback against Aston Villa on the final day of the league season whereas Thibaut Courtois and Vinicius Jr stopped them from winning the Champions League despite their best efforts in the final in Paris.

All of it is bound to take a great toll on the psyche and morale of the players and no wonder, many of them look exhausted and out of shape mentally this season.