Former Liverpool star Danny Murphy advises Jurgen Klopp to drop Joe Gomez and start Fabinho

Liverpool take on Everton in the Merseyside derby this weekend and Danny Murphy wants one big change from Jurgen Klopp. The former Liverpool star claims that Joe Gomez is not in good form and should be dropped for Fabinho.

Joe Gomez has not had the best of starts to the season, just like his centre-back partner Virgil van Dijk. The Premier League champions have conceded 11 goals in their first 4 matches and have managed only one clean sheet.

Murphy believes Everton will be a handful for Liverpool

With Everton in fine form this season and scoring freely, Danny Murphy believes that starting Joe Gomez will be a mistake. He claims that Dominic Calvert-Lewin will trouble the Liverpool defence a lot, and having Fabinho and van Dijk at the heart of the back four would be ideal for them. Murphy wrote in his Daily Mail column:

"We cannot gloss over the defeat at Villa of course. Joe Gomez, in particular, has struggled in the heart of the defence this season. He does not look as confident, or even fit, compared to his prime and the manager faces a big decision whether to take him out of the firing line. It is always a tricky call. Some players benefit from having a breather, gather their thoughts and come back stronger. I always liked to have that final chance if I was out of form and invariably put in a better performance. For me, rising to the challenge helped, whereas being dropped might have knocked my confidence."

"I do not know Gomez's character but from the outside, I would say it would be better for Liverpool if Fabinho partnered Virgil van Dijk for the derby, particularly as Klopp should have other strong options in midfield. The middle of a back four is such a crucial part of the pitch and particularly so for Liverpool on this occasion, because Everton's main strength is their front three, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring every time he plays."

The Reds were thrashed 7-2 by Aston Villa in the previous match with their defence wide exposed from the start of the game. Jurgen Klopp's side will be looking to bounce back in resounding fashion, and Danny Murphy has backed his former side to win the Merseyside derby.