5 reasons why Liverpool are set to fail this season

It was a laboured display from Liverpool against Spartak Moscow in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night, and while the home fans created an atmosphere worthy of the competition, the visitors emphasised their obvious failings through the number of chances they created, but wasted.

It was a frustrating night for all involved with the Merseyside club on their return to Europe's top table, and having spent the best part of the last decade competing in the UEFA Europa League, the supporters headed into this campaign filled with expectancy for a club that once dominated on the European stage.

Manager Jurgen Klopp is a good fit at Liverpool, his character and footballing style compliment the reputation of the club, its history, its traditions and its supporters, but patience is a virtue in the modern game, and having returned to the Champions League there is a natural expectancy for the club to progress and to compete against the best of the best in the latter stages.

However, there are too many failings currently at Anfield for this to become a reality. There were indications of such in the opening group stage draw at home to Sevilla that this was a team without the defensive strength to make an impression in the competition, while the recent heavy defeat to Manchester City in the English Premier League left questions unanswered about the overall character of the squad.

So what does Klopp need to change and improve to put things right? A manager that wears his heart on his sleeve, there is no doubt that he has the passion and desire to succeed at the club, but could his own emotion eventually prove to be his undoing?

A hero at his former club for what he achieved at Borussia Dortmund, here are the five key areas that Liverpool need to address if Klopp is to ever be considered a success.

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#5 The lack of a consistent goalscorer

Daniel Sturridge missed chances for Liverpool against Spartak Moscow on Tuesday night

This is a key issue for Liverpool, and while they defied the odds to hold on to Philippe Coutinho despite the advances of Barcelona during the summer, his creativity in attack needs to be complemented by an out-and-out goalscoring striker.

The likes of Harry Kane, Romelu Lukaku, Alvaro Morata and Sergio Aguero are emphasising this failing like never before with their current form for their respective Premier League rivals. Liverpool boast plenty of attacking options in Coutinho, Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah, Saido Mane and Daniel Sturridge, but none of these individuals have the same mentality to play in the role of those listed above.

While Salah has proved to be an inspired purchase, and Mane has enjoyed a bright start to the season before the red card that eventually proved to be the catalyst to the Manchester City defeat, Liverpool desperately need to find the next Michael Owen, Ian Rush, Roger Hunt, Kenny Dalglish, Robbie Fowler etc, and soon.

#4 The natural leader has never been replaced

Steven Gerrard defined everything about being the perfect team captain

His name is still sung like no other on the Kop, and will be for a number of years to come. In fact, as he takes his first steps into coaching with the clubs youngsters, it already seems inevitable that Steven Gerrard will eventually be offered the opportunity to lead Liverpool off the field like he used to do on it.

However, his leadership has not been replaced, and current captain Jordan Henderson falls short in what are difficult boots to fill.

Gerrard's finest moment came in the Champions League as he inspired the most unlikely comeback against AC Milan in Istanbul in the 2004/05 final to lift the trophy, and while the Premier League title eluded him during his playing career, his immediate successors are likely to experience the same disappointment.

Jurgen Klopp has the character of a natural captain and leader, and he kicks every ball on the touchline. It is natural in football for managers to appoint a captain with similar characteristics to themselves, but Klopp does not currently have a trusted lieutenant that he can turn to in order to take charge of situations on the field.

It is a major failing, and it is difficult to see who will take on this role unless an outsider it brought in for that specific purpose.

#3 Goalkeeping problems

Goalkeeper Simon Mignolet is consistently under scrutiny at Anfield

In keeping with modern football trends, Jurgen Klopp has opted to rely on Simon Mignolet in the Premier League, and Loris Karius in the Champions League. It is a dangerous methodology that has punished more teams that it has benefited in the past.

Added to this, neither Mignolet or Karius are actually good enough to play for a team that have any realistic ambition of succeeding in either competition.

The goalkeeper position has generally always been a controversial and debatable point at Anfield, and the club have rarely boasted the services of a genuinely world-class shot-stopper, especially in the modern era.

However, it is a vital position, and it is time that Klopp pressed pause on developing his attacking ideology and addressed the fundamental issues that are costing his side dearly at the present time.

In addition, a goalkeeper is generally considered to be only as good as his defence, and this is another significant failing that has been highlighted in both competitions this season.

It has become a well-worn football cliché that the best form of defence is attack, but it is a phrase that is tested in the modern game like never before, and Liverpool simply have to improve significantly at the back if they are to have any chance of competing against the best of the best.

#2 No winning mentality

Liverpool have been starved of success for over a decade

What does it take to win the English Premier League? What does it take to get over the line and lift the UEFA Champions League trophy? What level of mental strength does such success at the very top require? Unfortunately for Liverpool, too few of their current squad have any idea what it takes.

There are few players in the current Liverpool dressing room with major honours, and until the side get used to the mental and physical aspects of seeing a campaign in any competition through to a successful end, they will remain more and more likely to fall short when it matters. In the last decade, the club have only won the League Cup, once.

And to add to the misery, players like Coutinho, Sturridge and Mignolet carry the pain of missing out on the Premier League title in 2013/14 when the pressure of finishing the job proved to be too tough for Brendan Rodgers' side.

The nature of that disappointment will haunt the club and its fans for years to come, and as similar challenges for major honours slip further away, the harder it will become.

#1 Heavy metal management

Jurgen Klopp can't hide his frustration on the touchline

Take a look at the most successful managers and how they behave on the touchline, and you will learn a lot about the character and mentality that makes them winners.

The relaxed sulk of Manchester United's Jose Mourinho, the intense stare of Zinedine Zidane, the passionate but calculated tactical instructions of Pep Guardiola, the thoughtful never-changing expressions of Mauricio Pochettino and Carlo Ancelotti. They are all very different to the insane actions of Jurgen Klopp.

Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. Antonio Conte kicked every ball as Chelsea claimed the Premier League title last season, and few managers can match the aggressive passion of Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid.

But, while they have an unwavering passion for their respective teams and the game itself, they also know when they need to transmit the right message to their players, and how to do it. It takes more than a post-match hug.

And this is where Klopp himself falls down. On Tuesday night, the pressure of wasting too many chances was clearly taking its toll on the manager. His frustration was evident, and the pressure he emitted to his players put the team on edge.

They became too desperate to score, snatching at chances when an element of composure was needed, and it was a reflection of the body language coming from the bench.

Likewise, when Saido Mane was sent off against Manchester City with Liverpool enjoying a decent start to the game, the natural reaction of the remaining ten players was to look to the bench for guidance having lost the services of their lone striker.

However, instead of reorganising and reassuring, Klopp was remonstrating with the fourth official about a decision that was not going to change.

As a result, the players only saw panic as they looked for inspiration, and it was no coincidence that Manchester City eventually went on to win the match by such a convincing 5-0 scoreline.

By the time Klopp had found his composure, the damage had been done. His job now is to fix these clear failings, or it will be Klopp himself who will be seen as the problem that needs to be fixed.