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Topics: Liverpool
Will Beaman
TalkSPORT pundit Jamie O'Hara has stated that Liverpool defender Virgil Van Dijk is ‘not the same player’ this season amid the Reds shaky start to the new campaign.
The Dutch international has featured in every game for Jurgen Klopp's side so far but Liverpool have failed to maintain the sky-high standards they are used to hitting.
Liverpool were held to a goalless draw by City rivals Everton on Saturday and currently sit seventh in table, six points behind league leaders Arsenal.
Despite the heroics of Jordan Pickford denying them a win, Liverpool failed to control the game like they are used to and would have lost the game had it not been for a contentious VAR decision against Conor Coady.
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Speaking to Sky Sports, O’Hara had this to say about Van Dijk and his teammates:
“I’m watching this Liverpool side at the moment and I’m looking at it going, Van Dijk’s not the same player, he looks off the pace. The midfield for me is a problem, I think they know that,”
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“Harvey Elliott, fantastic young player. But I look at Nunez upfront and he’s not firing. [Luiz] Diaz isn’t [Sadio] Mane and I think [Mohamed] Salah is struggling without Mane in the side.”
“They don’t seem to be the Liverpool that I am used to seeing. The edge they have over teams, that invincibility that they had over teams from last season where you turn up and think ‘oh here we’ and get beat by two or three.”
Liverpool started their last fixture with a midfield of Fabio Carvalho, Harvey Elliott and Fabinho.
Despite the stellar form of the two young players, they are relatively inexperienced compared to the likes of Thiago and Henderson, who are both out through injury.
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The Reds brought in former Juventus midfielder Arthur Melo on deadline day, but many Liverpool fans still fear that there is not enough quality in depth to Jurgen Klopp’s engine room.
“I think teams now fancy themselves,” O’hara said.
“They look at the team sheet, look at the midfield and think they’re young players, good young players, but it’s a midfield you look at with Liverpool and think ‘we can overrun this, we can win this’."
"And I think we’re seeing. I thought Everton were great and nearly won it.
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“I’m worried for Liverpool. I think they could miss out on the top four. Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham. Then you’ve got Chelsea and Manchester United.”