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Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler has heaped praise on Manchester City's centre-back pairing of John Stones and Ruben Dias, while also claiming he wanted Liverpool to sign Stones last summer.
Liverpool found their title defense in tatters as their season went from bad to worse with a third straight home loss in the Premier League.
Last time out, the Reds were brushed aside by a rampant Manchester City side, losing 4-1 in a game which saw them remain fourth-placed with 11 wins in their 23 league games this campaign.
Manchester City strengthened their hold at the top of the Premier League with a relentless performance at Anfield, moving five points clear of second-placed Manchester United, who have played one game more.
Robbie Fowler, who is currently the head coach of SC East Bengal in the Indian Super League, also said he felt his former side do not have what it takes to compete with City for the Premier League title this season, while praising the Citizens' defensive pairing of John Stones and Ruben Dias.
Speaking prior to Manchester City’s emphatic victory over Liverpool on Sunday, Fowler said:
"It's one of those stories that has people going ‘yeah, yeah’, but last season when he was really struggling, I told a friend that Liverpool should sign John Stones.
"He wasn’t getting a kick with Manchester City, wasn’t even carrying the half-time oranges, but I always thought there was still a top-class player there, just waiting to mature. It’s not rocket science, I know.
"He was good enough to play in a World Cup semi-final and win two Premier League titles. And he’d done all that before he was 25, so if he had a dip last season, it was probably not going to be terminal.
"You wonder if Liverpool, or any other club, tried to get him, and you wonder just how hard City would have fought to keep him if there was a decent offer - though I accept the answer would be ‘tooth and nail’, if it was their biggest title rival!
"I’m not convinced that when Pep Guardiola bought Ruben Dias in the summer, he saw him with Stones in the heart of the defence. In fact, it was probably nailed on he was bought to partner Aymeric Laporte.
"So I’m not convinced he wouldn’t have been sold, if there was a good offer the from the right club. But sometimes you get lucky as a manager. And in Pep’s case, he acted as decisively last summer as he did after his first season at City, when it was obvious his defence wasn’t good enough to win titles.
"He didn’t have to make five defensive signings this time, only two, but the money he spent on Dias – I heard it was close to £70million – shows he meant business. And you don’t have to be Martin Keown to know as a pundit that he’s transformed the team.
"Dias and Stones seem to compliment each other, and that’s exactly what you want. The good news for City is that they’re an incredible age as a defensive pairing – they could have 10 years left in them," per Mirror.
Liverpool title defense looking slim as underperformance continues
Liverpool have simply lacked the cutting edge we’ve gotten accustomed to them with over the years. Last year, Liverpool scored a whopping 85 goals in the Premier League while conceding 33.
In the 2018/19 season, when they lost the league to Manchester City by just a point, Jurgen Klopp’s men scored 89 and conceded just 22.
However, this season, Liverpool have scored just 44 goals after 23 matches and have already shipped in 29 . It’s safe to say there has been a drastic drop at both ends of the pitch for Liverpool, who have simply struggled.
After the 7-0 annihilation of Crystal Palace on December 19, the Reds failed to taste victory in their next five matches as they dropped points to the likes of Newcastle United, Burnley, and even 19th-placed West Bromwich Albion.
They have won just two of their last seven Premier League games and have lost three straight games at Anfield, which has been a fortress over the years.
They are also out of the two domestic cup competitions, and with the Premier League looking all but lost, they have only the UEFA Champions League to battle for, and this looks like a far cry considering their current underperformance.
