Ally McCoist identifies missing player who could cost Liverpool the Premier League title this season

Arne Slott’s side don’t look as strong defensively as last season, but Ally McCoist has highlighted areas where he thinks the champions are struggling and why.

McCoist explained on The Breakdown: “I headed to Liverpool from the start of the season[to win the title]because I thought we had an incredible transfer window.”

“I thought they were great last year and I thought they were even stronger. Time may pass, but the players that Liverpool didn’t get will cost Liverpool, never mind the players they did get.”

Asked about the identity of that player, McCoist said he believed Liverpool could lose money by failing to sign Marc Guehi.

The champions beat the English defender at the last minute and Crystal Palace withdrew from the deal after they were unable to secure a replacement.

‘He is a dream’, says Hargreaves of Guehi’s ability to play for Madrid

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Joe Cole was quick to agree with McCoist, highlighting Liverpool’s spillover effects on Ibrahima Konate as a problem for Slott to solve.

“Konate looks like he’s space-clogged so far this year, but he doesn’t intend to be that way,” Cole added.

“He would have been reading the news expecting Mark Gehi to come. How much his head was spinning and his ego a little bruised?

“And as a professional, as a player, when you move away from that focus a little bit, having a bad game can ruin you. If he comes back, those stats will change because he’s a top player.”

Liverpool have conceded nine goals in the Premier League this season to Arsenal’s three, more than any other team in the top six.

Their defensive failures are clear, with only two clean sheets so far this season.

“I think[Slot]needs to understand who his right-back is,” added Hargreaves.

“He has (Conor) Bradley, and I think that affects Konate. I know he makes a lot of mistakes, but his right-back is different, the structure of the midfield is different. I think if he sorts out the defensive side, they’ll be fine.”

Slots: Liverpool ‘definitely deserved’ at least a draw with Chelsea defeat

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Fernandes ‘by far’ Manchester United’s best player

Liverpool’s next title challenge will be at arch-rivals Manchester United, but the Red Devils are struggling in a more worrying way.

Hargreaves was quick to praise Bruno Fernandes at his former club United, calling the Portugal star “by far” the best player.

And after acquiring Benjamin Sesco and Matheus Cunha up front in the transfer market, it appears they are unsure where and how to play Fernandes.

“Bruno is their best player by a country mile and they go and sign two No. 10s to play his position, so he has to play almost in a defensive midfield position,” Hargreaves explained.

Hargreaves explains how ‘best number 10 in the division’ Fernandes is holding him back

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“And I understand that they think they need more goals to get further up the order than (having) a world-class goalkeeper, but (Fernandes) is actually probably the best No. 10 in the division with Cole Palmer… and they took him out because they wanted someone to play in midfield.”

“Why not sign a central midfield player and then let Bruno do his job with Cunha and the goalkeeper? That would have solved a lot of problems.”