If Liverpool Don't Spend in January They May as Well Write off This Season

Liverpool supporters are waking up to yet another Monday morning after defeat—a feeling they've become accustomed to over the past 12 months.

Defeat to Manchester United, though, makes it harder to swallow than the recent losses to Newcastle United, Watford and West Ham United.

Defeat against what was an extremely poor Old Trafford side, and in a match that Liverpool had plenty of opportunities to win, adds to the frustration.

The fact that, once again, it was a case of not taking their chances and then gifting their opponents a soft goal off a set piece makes the situation infuriating.

In their post-match coverage of the game, Sky Sports opted to firmly lay the blame for the goal with youngster Jordon Ibe—who switched off and failed to track Juan Mata as he went for the short corner. The Spaniard then crossed for Marouane Fellaini, whose header rebounded off the bar and to Wayne Rooney for him to smash home unmarked from six yards.

There's plenty more than Ibe at fault for the goal, Liverpool's anxiety defending corners meant four players—Kolo Toure, Jordan Henderson, Mamadou Sakho and Lucas Leiva—all jumped in an attempt to win the header against Fellaini. All failed, leaving Rooney completely unmarked at the back post.

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Simon Mignolet inexplicably opted to slide to his knees to watch Fellaini's header hit the bar, leaving him out of position and not set when Rooney strikes the ball goalward. It's comical.

One shot on target, one goal. Liverpool lose.

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This is how easy it is to beat this Liverpool team now, ride your luck defensively, knowing that they don't take their chances, but that they will gift you a goal off a set piece at the other end. The only surprise was that United didn't attempt more inswinging corners given that Liverpool had conceded two goals directly off corners in their last two games.

A win for Jurgen Klopp's side would have taken them level on points with their north-west rivals, but instead they finished the weekend ninth in the Premier League table, eight points off the top four and still with a negative goal difference. Champions League qualification via the league is gone.

Some supporters may have written off the league season already, and should they fail to sign anybody this month, it would look like an admission from the club and Klopp that they themselves are writing off the league campaign.

Signing a centre-back on loan from a Championship club, who was unwanted at a Premier League team below you in the table, is not going to improve things dramatically enough to change the flow of Liverpool's derailing league campaign.

The fact that the player, Steven Caulker, has been used twice now as a late substitute in an unfamiliar centre-forward role is embarrassing for a club who have spent over £100 million on forwards since Luis Suarez left the club a year and a half ago.

Danny Ings, Divock Origi, Christian Benteke and Roberto Firmino all arrived in the summer, yet Liverpool's profligacy in front of goal remains the same this season as it did last.

They aren't helped by the fact Liverpool's midfielders don't score goals. In a combined 2,000 minutes of Premier League football this season, Adam Lallana and Ibe have scored zero goals.

Some people claim this Liverpool squad lacks an identity, but it actually has a very strong identity—midfielders who are decent squad players but lack an end product and don't score goals; Lallana, James Milner, Jordan Henderson, Joe Allen. Brendan Rodgers signed players of similar attributes, but none of them are known for their scoring prowess.

Henderson attempted his best Steven Gerrard impression by shooting at every opportunity, including one ridiculous shot from 40 yards. Maybe he watched too much of Philippe Coutinho while he was recovering from injury.

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The weaknesses in the Liverpool squad are glaring—and worryingly, they are in every area of the pitch. A commanding goalkeeper is of the highest priority, likewise a centre-back, and a midfielder who can contribute goals and assists.

Klopp was asked post-match about the lack of a recognised centre-forward in his starting XI—the journalist in question presumably unaware of Firmino's several appearances for Hoffenheim as a forward, and with Brazil in the Copa America, and in all his best performances with Liverpool this season.

Firmino wasn't the issue in this game, far from it. The Brazilian put in another good display, but he had little help from his goal-shy attacking midfielders. That's more of a problem.

Liverpool are competing on all four fronts at the moment, with an FA Cup replay against Exeter City this week and a League Cup semi-final second leg against Stoke City next week.

With the Europa League returning next month, this season could quickly unravel further.

It's admirable that Klopp has reportedly given the current squad until the end of the season to prove themselves, per Andy Hunter of the Guardian, but the problems are there to see now—loud and clear. They need fixing now to ensure this season isn't completely written off before spring has sprung.

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Klopp has claimed to be "not the biggest friend of the January transfer window," per the Press Association (via the Independent) but some of Liverpool's best business in recent years has been conducted in the winter window.

Suarez, Coutinho and Daniel Sturridge all arrived in recent midseason windows, while Javier Mascherano and Daniel Agger further dispel the myth going further back.

Alas, it seems highly unlikely that Liverpool are going to acquire a player they need now—a player who can immediately arrive and improve the first team, not a squad player or yet another signing for the future. Such a signing would require planning ahead and it appears that has not happened in this instance, with the club and Klopp preferring to give the current squad, despite its obvious flaws, until the end of the season.

When Klopp arrived at the club just over three months ago, he insisted he was inheriting a squad that did not require an overhaul, saying: “When I saw the squad—when on my holiday—I thought ‘good job, I can work with this’."

After witnessing the same mistakes being made game after game, Klopp's opinion on certain players within the squad will be changing, and he needs to be ruthless this summer when making the changes required.