Liverpool's four "missing" midfielders – and how it could have been so different for Jurgen Klopp

This is the problematic position of Liverpool since the beginning of the season.

The Reds managed to get a stellar 27 points in the Premier League out of a possible 33 to keep looking for a first league title. 29 years old in May.

As a result, Jurgen Klopp has not yet left the eyes of Manchester City, despite its offensive splendor and excellence in defense.

For the moment, City is clearly visible and Liverpool even has the chance to overtake them on Sunday as they will receive the most substantial defense of the division at Fulham before the Manchester derby.

However, for some, the glbad remains half empty.

Much of the focus – and sometimes anger – is focused on a midfielder who lacks spark and creativity.

Such accusations were held Tuesday night as Liverpool was working in Belgrade, stripped of the spellbinding talents of Xherdan Shaqiri left in Merseyside. my own public enemy No. 1 in Serbia for his celebration at the World Cup of Switzerland to the political charge.

Klopp on the shape of Henderson and Keita

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The Liverpool midfielder, for better or for worse, is getting a facelift among the options Klopp was able to invoke 12 months ago.

While the Reds coach could always count Philippe Coutinho and Emre Can as Liverpool players, Klopp Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was also at his disposal.

And despite the summer arrivals of Fabinho and Naby Keita, the fact that Klopp is ready to approve a nearly £ 50 million contract for Nabil Fekir suggests that he knew more. A spark in the engine room might be needed during a generally arduous and charged aircraft campaign.

For various reasons, Liverpool has wished, at one time or another, in the last 12 months, that his four members be part of the Reds. "19659002] As such, Klopp is unable to appeal to any of them as he tries to rediscover the offensive verve that Liverpool made of his trademark last season.

That could have been so different in the engine room. [19659008] Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

It can be argued that Oxlade-Chamberlain was in the form of his career when he had the season cruelly over.

Here is the versatile English international finally getting his chance in his privileged role of offensive midfielder after years spent at Arsenal under Arsene Wenger. [19659002] An innocent tackle near the sideline saw him suffer serious long-term knee injuries, ending his campaign instantly and causing him to miss the Champions League final and the World Cup accordingly. 196590 02] Klopp would reveal in July that Oxlade-Chamberlain should also miss most of the 2018/19 campaign as his energetic midfielder's fitness path slowly

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"It seems like a good time to tell people that for Ox, the next season will be recovery and rehabilitation," said Klopp.

"We have known since the day after his arrival. the injury and after the successful surgery, we were certain. "

Consider that the bomb fell.

Oxlade-Chamberlain will return to this Liverpool squad and will eventually add the thrust, pace, and power that he displayed weekly basis in the second half of the season. last

However, such a vision will not happen any time soon and we will give him ample opportunity to put himself in good shape before he can make a significant contribution.

Philippe Coutinho

Coutinho was on track for his best season as a player Liverpool when Barcelona played its power play for the Brazilian International in January.

The offensive midfielder was so often the leader of the Liverpool midfielder, fed the devastating front of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and three others. Roberto Firmino, while scoring himself with a dozen goals.

However, Barca, which had been refused by Liverpool the previous year, came back at the end of the year and believed to be 142 million pounds sterling. take him to Nou camp.

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Liverpool kept its powder dry by weighing potential replacements and strengthened its background with a £ 75 million contract for Virgil van Dijk – a transfer organized before the release of Coutinho.

Klopp confessed that he was reluctant to lose his. No.10, but saw no reason to keep him against his wishes for the second half of the season.

"It's not that we had a discussion and Phil said my head was elsewhere," Klopp said. "It was clear after our discussions that it would not work, we knew when the club tried everything."

Emre Can

The summer start of Can was not felt like Coutinho's, and he did not miss as much as Oxlade-Chamberlain, but losing the 24-year-old German international midfielder for nothing was infuriating. [19659002] Liverpool and Klopp never wanted Can to leave Anfield, but after making his interest known early enough, the former Leverkusen man chose to trade the Merseyside against Turin by joining the Italian giant Juventus.

"I want to thank everyone in Liverpool, my coaches, the staff, the staff behind the staff, the fans, everyone," he said after he left.

"I will always think with a smile and a part of my heart will always be in Liverpool It was a great honor for me to play for Liverpool, I hope to see you someday, be careful. 19659002] Klopp once again declared that he wanted his fellow countryman to stay at Anfield's home beyond his contract, saying: "We need to create a situation in which players want to stay – that's all we can do as a club, a team and me as a manager. "

Can only made three starts for the A-Series champions. Since he's moved.

Nabil Fekir

The saga of summer transfers.

The change proposed by Nabil Fekir to Anfield was called off at the 11th hour in dramatic circumstances when Lyon ends sensational Negotiations with the Reds.

French international had to join the Reds before Les Bleus took off for the World Cup in June, after the club's medical staff traveled to Paris after a breakthrough in the negotiations.

A second opinion Liverpool was looking for a long knee problem and despite internal televised interviews with LFCTV, Fekir stayed with OL.

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"Olympique Lyonnais informs that negotiations with Liverpool and Nabil Fekir for the transfer of the captain of OL have not succeeded and that Olympique Lyonnais has decided to end to these negotiations tonight at 20:00 ", read a statement in June.

Despite two months to return to the negotiating table, no agreement has come to fruition and Fekir remained captain of Lyon when closing the transfer window of the Premier League early in the year. August.

The winner of the World Cup is again in great form Ligue 1, with four goals and as many badistances in 10 matches.