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Pundit and former footballer Chris Sutton has claimed something is missing at Liverpool and fears AFC Ajax will snatch a point from the Reds this week. Sutton has predicted a 2-2 draw between the two sides when they meet in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday (September 13).
Jurgen Klopp's side have not had the best of starts to the season and have struggled for balance. They have already lost 2-1 to Manchester United and 4-1 to S.S.C. Napoli, which took the shine off their 9-0 thrashing of AFC Bournemouth.
Writing in his column for the Daily Mail (via The Boot Room), Sutton predicted that the Reds will play out a 2-2 draw stalemate against Ajax. He highlighted that the players are not clicking on the pitch and wrote:
"I kept thinking because of what L'pool have achieved in previous seasons that it was only a blip they were in. But with the way Napoli won 4-1 and made L'pool's defence look like tourists on an Italian holiday, it has become more than that. Something's amiss there."
He added:
"From Virgil van Dijk at the back to Mohamed Salah up front, they've not been clicking. L'pool's players lapped up the praise when they were on song. Now we need to see how they respond when they're hitting bum notes."
Sutton went on to state that Ajax, who kicked off their Champions League campaign with a 4-0 thrashing of Rangers, will pose questions for Klopp's side:
"Ajax will have a go. They're fearless and beat Rangers 4-0 last week. There's no time to waste for L'pool to get their season back on track, but I fear Ajax will take something away from Anfield."
Ajax warned about Liverpool's 12th man
While Sutton threw caution to the air, former Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt has warned Ajax that the Reds will get an extra push from the fans at Anfield. Kuyt added that some of the greatest teams have lost the plot at the famous stadium because of the hostile atmosphere.
Kuyt said (as quoted by the Mirror):
"At Anfield, I have seen even the greatest teams with the most experienced top players lose the plot. As a Liverpool player, you're boosted by the noise. Then an energy is released and there's no stopping you. On the pitch, there is no escaping the noise."
He added:
"Because of the way the crowd reacts, you even become alert to a chance or when a dangerous situation threatens. They help you as a Liverpool player to anticipate certain situations."
Liverpool desperately need a win to get their campaign back on track and will hope to use the Anfield atmosphere to their advantage.
