“Thiago and Oxlade-Chamberlain do not do the same job” - Tony Cascarino says Gini Wijnaldum's departure left a big hole in Liverpool's midfield

Tony Cascarino has explained Liverpool are missing Georginio Wijnaldum’s presence in midfield, claiming that teams have had a run at their defense in his absence.

Even though Wijnaldum's tenacious and dogged displays often went under the radar, he was an integral part of Liverpool’s midfield three.

He didn't contribute a great deal with goals and assists, but Wijnaldum was defensively pivotal, shielding the back four alongside Jordan Henderson and Fabinho.

Wijnaldum left Liverpool for Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent earlier this year and the Reds did not replace him in the summer transfer window.

Cascarino has claimed that Liverpool’s midfield hasn’t been the same following Wijnaldum’s departure to PSG:

“The big miss for Liverpool is Gini Wijnaldum, who left a big hole when he went to PSG. Oxlade-Chamberlain and Thiago do not do the same job, especially against big physical opposition such as Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek for West Ham,” Cascarino said.

"The key reason why they are not as strong as they have been is that the midfield 'dogs of war' are more like dogs of straw at the moment. The three playing in there used to be so relentless and aggressive that they made it really hard for opponents to get at Liverpool. Now the centre halves are exposed.”

Liverpool’s mistake of not replacing Gini Wijnaldum has become more evident this season

Last season, Liverpool struggled with injuries at the back, and this season it's their midfield department that's been bitten by the injury bug.

Liverpool’s decision to not replace Wijnaldum, who was not only a key player but one of the fittest midfielders in the squad, was baffling.

The Reds have tried out several combinations in midfield this season, but frequent injuries have held them back from finding their rhythm.

Liverpool used Harvey Elliot as a direct replacement for Wijnaldum in the early part of the season, but his injury was a big blow.

Since then, the likes of Curtis Jones, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Thiago, and James Milner have been used in midfield. However, they are all injury-prone.

Jürgen Klopp may have to look at signing a proven top-quality midfielder come January for Liverpool to remain in the title race in the second half of the season.