Liverpool got their campaign underway with a win but it was far from convincing to say the least.

The Reds have the tough task of retaining their Premier League title this season and based on their activity in the transfer market, many think they will be able to achieve just that.

They have recruited well and equally made some smart sales, although their squad is still looking a little thin, something that was evident during their meeting with Bournemouth.

The problems stemmed from Liverpool’s defence, with Arne Slot’s side looking far too exposed at the back, hence why the win was far from comfortable.

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And, former Red Dietmar Hamann believes two players in particular stood out during their win, but not for the right reasons.

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Liverpool have had somewhat of a summer overhaul, with the biggest changes coming at full-back.

Milos Kerkez has come in to replace the ageing Andy Robertson, although he remains at the club, while Jeremie Frimpong was more of a forced-buy given the departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Both have proven to be some of the best in their positions over recent years, particularly in attack, but Hamann thinks this is something that has impacted Liverpool’s ability to control a game.

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“I think if you look at the 90 minutes, I think you never felt they were really in control of the game,” he told talkSPORT on the breakfast show.

“This is something I think where they’ve been really good last season.

They struggled to create chances over the 90 minutes and also allowed quite a few.

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“I think if you don’t control games without the ball, it makes it even harder to control it with the ball.

I think part of it, or the reason was that defensively, they’ve been pretty fragile as they’ve been against Palace.

“Kerkez struggled (in) both games so far.

Frimpong, for all his power going forward, his pace, he’s not a right-back.

“I think this is something they have to address because without Trent (Alexander-Arnold) in the team, I think the dynamics in the team will change.”

Bournemouth certainly put up a good fight but no offence to them, but the Newcastle game is a whole other kettle of fish, mainly due to the Alexander Isak saga surrounding the game.

The Magpies will make this game as horrible as they possibly can for Liverpool, with the game set to be a fierce one from the very off.

It also has all the markings of being very end-to-end, something that might not suit the Reds given the frailties they have at the back.

With that said, not only does Slot have a big choice to make at left-back, whether to play Robertson or Kerkez, but he has the same dilemma on the other side too.

Frimpong is likely to start due to Conor Bradley being injured, but Joe Gomez could also be an option now he is back in the fold, with the Englishman playing there towards the end of the Bournemouth match.

Either way, this one might be one of the games of the season already, and if Liverpool are not careful, they could find themselves in big trouble.


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