5 reasons why Liverpool won't make the top four in the 2017/18 season

#3 Their defence is too weak

Liverpool's defence, featuring Dejan Lovren, have let in some appalling goals already

Everyone knows that the key to success in any league is having a strong defence. It’s all well and good being able to shred teams from an attacking perspective, but if you’re shipping goals consistently then you’re always going to struggle in the long run. Just ask Kevin Keegan, who saw his Newcastle side surrender the league to Manchester United back in 1995/96 based essentially on having a leaky defence.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp evidently spotted his side’s defensive deficiencies in the summer, hence his chase of Southampton’s outstanding defender Virgil an Dijk. That chase, as everyone knows, didn’t pay off, and now Klopp is being forced to deploy a defence featuring the likes of Dejan Lovren, Joel Matip, and Ragnar Klavan – who, no offence intended, just aren’t Champions League standard defenders. Granted, youngsters Joe Gomez and Trent Alexander-Arnold have performed well thus far and clearly, have bright futures. But that’s not enough to get into the Champions League.

Liverpool have already conceded 17 goals – the most of any side currently in the top 8, and more than relegation candidates Swansea and Bournemouth – and some of those goals have been down to appalling defensive errors, such as Heung-Min Son’s goal for Tottenham, and Joselu’s goal for Newcastle. Given there’s no guarantee that Klopp is going to be able to strengthen than defence in January’s transfer window, it’s pretty clear that Liverpool just don’t have a strong enough defensive spine to finish in the top four.