I've been hearing that all season now, next game we'll click into gear, but it simply isn't happening.
Problem is, Klopp has become so reliant on the front 3, that the team doesn't know how to and isn't then able to adapt without them.
The 'squad depth' gets so rarely used, that when they are used, they do not gel, and then they get dropped in a flash. We've seen moments of Sturridge. He's had bit part games (other than that start against Red Star in which he got dropped after 45 minutes). It's a catch 22 that he and Shaqiri are facing. When they do play, they are not up to form (lack of game minutes) and the team do not fully adapt to their own style of play. Then they don't 'play well enough' (often the criticism of Sturridge, and in the last game the same was said of Shaqiri).
These lads will not have a great game until they get enough game time to get into form, and until the team knows how to play with them. For Sturridge it's even worse. Because of the reliance on the front 3, we've basically forgotten how to play with a Striker. When Sturridge does play, he doesn't get to play the Striker role. I see his movement, and he basically gets ignored. He is expected to play a Firmino role, yet Firmino is not expected to play the Sturridge role.
The midfield has a similar problem with Keita unable to get going because he needs the minutes to burst into form.. but he's not getting the minutes because he's not in form.
Too much of the same, with limited tactical changes when the opportunity presents itself.
Firmino is pretty poor at the moment and we need a change.
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