Liverpool blame lies on wrong people as realities of summer plans become clear

An abject April has already become the reference point for analysing exactly where Liverpool's push for glory fell away in the final weeks of Jurgen Klopp's time.

And caught the eye of the storm as a result has been the Reds' attacking department, whose shot-shy time in front of goal across a seven-game run put paid to hopes of either Premier League or Europa League glory.

Across that sequence, Liverpool mustered a whopping 141 shots but scored just nine times and took only five points from 15. This was where dreams fizzled out to many.

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That April run and the inability to up the conversion rate was undoubtedly damaging but Liverpool's real problem has been lurking in the background for months at the opposite end of a strike force who have perhaps unfairly been copping the flak.

Two goals against Wolves on Sunday afternoon, in fact, will see Klopp's team register more Premier League goals than the 85 they racked up when they won the title by 18 points four years ago and the five-man frontline have scored 87 between them across all competitions this term.

It just so happened that the collective barren spell came at such a critical juncture of the season. But the Reds' real issue has been at the other end, where they are without a clean sheet in well over two months in the Premier League. Such has been the struggles to keep out the opposition in fact that the Reds have kept just two in 2024, away at Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest.

The biggest contributing factor to that has been an inability to field what many would suggest is Klopp's strongest back five. Depending on personal preference, Joel Matip may feature in that but the centre-back's season was cut short in December and Ibrahima Konate hasn't looked the same player since an injury in Prague back in March. The France international has played just 22 of the Reds' 37 Premier League games this term with youngster Jarell Quansah being preferred of late.

"I've learnt so much, it's been so valuable to my career, to be honest," Quansah says. "I can't thank the gaffer (Klopp) enough for trusting me in these games. I've played against some of the best players in the world and played alongside some of the best players in the world. Hopefully that continues and I just keep pushing on and getting better and better."

After missing around a month earlier in the season, Trent Alexander-Arnold has endured an injury-hit 2024 while Andy Robertson was sidelined for four months after shoulder surgery before missing Monday's 3-3 draw at Aston Villa with what was described as a minor complaint. Joe Gomez, Kostas Tsimikas and Conor Bradley have all deputised with aplomb at times but the lack of minutes for the influential full-back duo has hurt, no question.

The split of game-time across the entirety of the defensive department is indicative of Liverpool's failure to name a settled and secure backline and Alisson Becker has only played five games more than back-up Caoimhin Kelleher to further illustrate the chopping and changing that has been enforced on the manager.

Further forward, the lack of a truly top-class defensive midfielder has allowed opposition to get in front of the Reds' last line too often too. Wataru Endo has perhaps exceeded expectations since his £16m switch from Stuttgart in August and the Japan captain has become a cult hero as he approaches the end of his maiden term on Merseyside.

But Arsenal and Manchester City, with Declan Rice and Rodri as their respective No.6s, would not swap for Liverpool's version and Alexis Mac Allister looks like a player in need of a real rest having been asked to fill in at the base of the midfield more often than he would have imagined when he signed from Brighton & Hove Albion last term.

For a team who have conceded 10 in their last five games, there is work to do on the pitch across the summer as the defensive ranks look to tighten up. But with Matip and Thiago Alcatnara both out of contract and questions still persisting over the lack of an elite holding midfielder, there is work to do in the transfer market also.