Liverpool have not been the relentless and energetic team we know this season so far, and their performance in the race is noticeably less than expected.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have just nine points on the board this season and have left many struggling to identify what is at the heart of the initial struggles.
A hangover from last season, injuries, complacency, condensed pre-season and an aging squad have all entered the narrative, and Liverpool are yet to show the consistency that everyone craves.
Pep Lijnders readily states that “our identity is intensity”, but Liverpool have not been showing that with enthusiasm this season, as the team’s distance statistics show.
In a Twitter thread, professional data analyst Dan Kennett detailed the Reds’ lack of intensity with career stats showing Liverpool “have been outscored in every game this season”.
#lfc has been outplayed in every game this season. Minimum 1.7k less than the opponent, maximum 7k, average 3.4k per match
— Dan Kennett (@DanKennett) September 3, 2022
Kennett details that Liverpool have run a total of 20 kilometers less than their opponents in their six league games, while the corresponding games last season saw Liverpool run 11 more kilometers.
That makes it a “five-kilometre-per-game turnaround”, which is then compounded by the fact that Liverpool have had fewer “high-intensity runs” than their opponents in each game.
A worrying trend considering the Reds’ ‘identity’ is intensity.
There are a multitude of reasons I could point to for this, including that the Reds currently have a slightly higher possession average than they did last season (69 percent compared to 63), or that it’s a deliberate attempt to run games in light of the relentless calendar.
And Klopp did recognize during the summer that “we have to extend [pre-season] in the season” as the condensed schedule did not form a solid foundation for the entire campaign.
Either way, it’s a significant turnaround and the Reds have been ineffective in press and counter-press, typically the hallmark of Klopp’s game.
So you can only hope that over time, with players coming back from injuries and getting their speed back, that as a unit and as individuals, you will see an improvement in performance and energy.
But whether the team is ready or not, they are now in the midst of a brutal schedule with 17 games in 66 days, including the September international break. It’s safe to say it’s time to find that intensity.
