Liverpool may have to face £50m transfer reality after painful Bayern Munich lesson
The problem with having an issue so painfully obvious is, well, that everybody knows about it.
And the longer Liverpool continue without a proven defensive midfielder in their squad, the worse matters are going to become.
Speaking before this frenetic friendly, Bayern Munich boss Thomas Tuchel had bemoaned his lack of defence-minded options in the position. Those, though, pale in comparison to compatriot Jurgen Klopp, whose primary concern was alarmingly underlined here in Singapore.
Bayern were ruthless. They, like everyone, knew Liverpool’s weak point and exposed it time and again, targeting stand-in number six Curtis Jones from the first whistle.
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It is harsh to be critical of Jones, given he had previously only ever had two 45-minute stints in the position for the club. He is a valuable midfield asset with his composure and confidence on the ball – both still very much in evidence here – and demonstrated in the closing weeks of last season he will have an important part to play in the next midfield iteration. His defensive discipline has improved as he has matured.
But he isn’t a number six. And Bayern were quick to get players in and around Jones, hounding him when in possession, capitalising on his occasional positional lapses and encouraged to use their pace to bypass the Liverpool man.
That Bayern were setting traps became clear when, after Jones narrowly escaped being ambushed by a flurry of opponents, their boss Tuchel flailed his arms in frustration on the touchline at a missed opportunity.
Chelsea,
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