Manchester City Profit From Liverpool’s Impotency

On 30 December 2018 Manchester City sat in third place in the Premier League, 10 points behind the leaders Liverpool and now sit in top spot.

In the period since 30 December City have even had time to enjoy their own dip in form as evidenced by the loss away at Newcastle. But have played 6 Premier League games since then, winning 5 and losing just once.

In contrast Liverpool have played 5 Premier League games in this period, with 2 wins, 2 draws and a loss. Dropping a total of 7 points in their last 5 games in which they have played. So what has happened in the intervening period?

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Well it can not be down to the number of games Liverpool have had to play because they have only played 6 times this year against the 10 games played by Manchester City. In fact the Liverpool supporting pundits gleefully suggested that being knocked out of the domestic Cup competitions would give Liverpool an edge in the title race.

Pundits have suggested that the fall in form by Liverpool is a result of injuries but that is disingenuous as well. City have been rocked by injuries to key players all season and are still without their left back and Club Captain. Liverpool supporters tend to suggest that they do not have the squad strength of Manchester City to cope with the injuries but that is entirely as a result of the transfer strategy of Liverpool who have chosen to be the biggest spenders in the League by spending their budget on a couple of players. City have tended to spread their transfer budget around and have not spent the sums Liverpool have spent on a single player.

What is obvious to anyone who has watched Liverpool is that an anxiety has crept into their play. They have frozen in the headlights and struggled to find answers. The Anfield crowd has only helped to create this anxiety because they know in their hearts that this Liverpool side are experienced only at losing titles not winning.

The Liverpool squad feel the weight of expectation from the fans and the media love in and it has restricted the freedom of their play. It has created a performance anxiety which has rendered them impotent in the key moments.

Jurgen Klopp will be working hard behind the scenes to address that anxiety and has attempted to create a whole host of excuses to the media to obscure what is really going on. He has blamed the grass, the wind, even the linesman for correctly flagging offside – these are all excuses from the Mourinho handbook to divert attention.

The last thing Klopp wants at the moment is for everyone to see that the Liverpool side are paper thin in their egos, and can crumble under pressure and expectation. Liverpool are the like the Emperor’s New Clothes in the Children’s story and now people are beginning to realise that after all, they are not beautifully dressed but naked. That is not the narrative they have worked hard to create.

Liverpool have some easier fixtures coming including the free hit which is Bournemouth at home at the weekend. Liverpool will win that game easily and may even score a hatfull. The media will no doubt crown them champions again, especially if Manchester fail to win against Chelsea, but what we all know is that once Liverpool are placed under pressure -once they face the weight of real expectation – they will again find that their performances desert them. Their star players will feign injury. Their fans will react badly and be quiet. Their defence will disappear and their goalkeeper will become transparent.

They are in the habit of losing when it counts and that impotency in the face of their biggest conquests will continue.