Graeme Souness has slammed Liverpool’s display in their victory over Chelsea in the Super Cup, claiming that it was their worst defensive performance of Jurgen Klopp’s reign.
Liverpool beat Frank Lampard’s side in a penalty shootout after the match ended 2-2 after 120 minutes in Istanbul on Wednesday evening.
Souness believes Chelsea played the better football during their clash against the Champions League holders and has criticised Liverpool for their lack of defensive organisation since their defeat to Manchester City in the Community Shield earlier this month.
‘Liverpool have been sloppy throughout the game and it can only be to do with them being so tired,’ Souness told Virgin Media Sport Ireland.
‘They were spot on with their holding a line and dropping off last year throughout the season and in the European football they played.
‘Tonight, and in the two games they played already this season, the game against [Manchester] City at Wembley and against Norwich, in terms of holding a line, when you should hold it and when you should drop off, they’ve been hopeless in these three games.
‘And tonight, this is the worst I’ve seen this Liverpool team defend since Jurgen Klopp has been there. They were all over the place.
‘And it can only be tiredness because they were doing it right nearly ten times out of ten last year.
‘One of the biggest problems they’ve had in the three games I’ve seen them play, in the first half against City [they] were getting in behind, Norwich were getting in behind.
‘When you’re asking your team to play the high line, when they’re not quite fit they will cheat a bit, they’ll take the easy option, stand there and try to play offside.
‘When they are all bang at it, fully fit, they’ll get it right.
‘This Liverpool team got that right nearly all of the time last year, defensively they were brilliant, organisation was brilliant.
‘In the three games this year they’ve been all over the place.
‘They are a high-energy team, look at [Andy] Robertson, did you see him cross the halfway line with any real vigour or enthusiasm, determination, athleticism? No. On the other side… nothing. Nothing from the wide areas.
‘They were not Liverpool, I’m not seeing a Liverpool that resembles the Liverpool we saw last season.’
