5 players who are past their best at Liverpool × Follow Us Create Notifications New User posted their first comment this is comment text Link Approve Reject & ban Delete Log in Manage your profile Editing Story Queue Video Queue Editing Stats Writer Home SEO Redirection Admin Gaming Wiki Edits Taxonomy Home Edit Site Menu Mapping Dashboard Tag Pages Community Social Feed Queue Feed Center Notification Center Affiliate Home Manage Pages Bottom Tagline Dash Timeless Stories Logout Football EPL 2022-23 Listicle 5 players who are past their best at Liverpool By Shambhu Ajith Modified 24 Aug 2022 Follow Us Comment Share Roberto Firmino (left) and Virgil van Dijk (right) Liverpool are off to a poor start to the 2021-22 season. They are yet to win a match after three Premier League gameweeks. What's worse is that the teams they've failed to muster wins against are all relatively weaker sides. They were held to a 2-2 draw in the opening game of the new Premier League season by Fulham. Jurgen Klopp's side then settled for a draw with Crystal Palace the following week. But Liverpool were left with their tails tucked between their legs last week by Manchester United, who beat them 2-1 at Old Trafford. It's worth noting that Liverpool had beaten United by a combined scoreline of 9-0 over two Premier League games last season. Liverpool's transfer activities this summer have come under a lot of criticism as they've failed to address their midfield problems so far. The club needs to acknowledge the fact that there are several aging players in the dressing room who are now past their prime. Without further ado, let's take a look at five players who are past their best at Liverpool. #5 Virgil van Dijk Manchester United v Liverpool FC - Premier League Don't get us wrong. Virgil van Dijk is still one of the best centre-backs in the Premier League. But since his return from the ACL injury he suffered in the 2020-21 season, he has not exactly been at his best. The Merseysiders have conceded five goals in their first three Premier League games this season and Van Dijk has received a lot of flak for his performances. His clumsy challenge on Aleksandar Mitrovic led to a penalty which resulted in the Cottagers gaining a 2-1 lead over the Reds on the opening weekend. Van Dijk was furiously called out by James Milner last Monday (August 22) after Liverpool conceded the first goal of the game. The Dutchman stayed rooted to the spot and watched on as Jadon Sancho took his sweet time to put the ball in the back of the net. Anthony Martial, who was introduced as a sub at the start of the second half, dribbled past Van Dijk thrice as United won the game 2-1. ESPN FC@ESPNFCVirgil van Dijk had a front row view of Sancho's goal 190051689Virgil van Dijk had a front row view of Sancho's goal https://t.co/MBBPfqPJDc #4 Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Liverpool v Norwich City: The Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round When Liverpool signed Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from Arsenal for £35 million and transformed him into a wiry central midfielder, Jurgen Klopp was praised for his brilliance. He performed well in the 2017-18 season as Liverpool made it to the final of the Champions League where they eventually lost to Real Madrid. However, Oxlade-Chamberlain missed almost the entirety of the 2018-19 season with an ACL injury. He did a decent job in the 2019-20 season, scoring eight goals and providing three assists in 43 appearances across all competitions. But ever since then, he has struggled with niggling injuries. A knee injury kept him out for a good part of the 2020-21 season. He was nowhere near his best last term and is currently sidelined with a hamstring problem. The 29-year-old is unlikely to get back to his best at Anfield and is likely to play a bit-part role this term. #3 Jordan Henderson Jordan Henderson snapped during the game against Fulham - Premier League Jordan Henderson has been a vital part of Jurgen Klopp's side over the past several years. His leadership qualities and efficiency continue to be the glue that often holds the team together. But having turned 32 this summer, Henderson's best days are behind him. What he has lacked in technical proficiency, the Liverpool captain used to make up for with his workrate and game-reading ability. However, as the days roll by, the mistakes flowing out of the deficiencies in his game are increasing in number. He committed an error that led to Mitrovic's opening goal in the first Premier League gameweek. His awful touch led to Manchester United's second goal in Monday's 2-1 loss at Old Tafford. Sportskeeda Football@skworldfootballManchester United fans went after Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson while he was being subbed off in their Premier League clash today (August 22). dlvr.it/SX49PF8Manchester United fans went after Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson while he was being subbed off in their Premier League clash today (August 22). dlvr.it/SX49PF #2 James Milner James Milner in action against Fulham FC - Premier League James Milner has been a paragon of personal fitness throughout his career. But he has never really been a world-class footballer. He is a workhorse who is also quite versatile and can play in a number of positions. The Englishman is a jack of all trades but a master of none. But that hasn't stopped him from being an important member of Klopp's unit since arriving at the club in 2015. But having turned 36, his best years are behind him and he just cannot keep up with the rigors of the Premier League anymore. He doesn't have the technical qualities to go toe-to-toe with the younger and more well-rounded midfielders in the league. Milner can no longer be relied on to be a starter. He can still make an impact off the bench but this is a player who is now in the final chapter of his career and it is unfair to ask for more from him. #1 Roberto Firmino Roberto Firmino in action against Manchester United - Premier League Roberto Firmino was a force to be reckoned with at his peak for Liverpool. The Brazilian forward is an extremely intelligent footballer who was easy on the eye and was also one of Liverpool's most important players under Klopp. He acted as the first line of defense when the Reds were out of possession. Firmino was excellent at winning the ball back in dangerous areas. He also made the players around him look better by virtue of his intelligent movement and technical abilities. However, Firmino's form has tailed off drastically over the past few seasons. His inadequacy in leading the line was most apparent in the Merseysiders' 2-1 loss to Manchester United. Firmino no longer has the pace to affect games and has registered just one shot in 141 minutes so far this Premier League campaign.WhoScored.com@WhoScored Fabio Carvalho has managed more shots in 40 minutes of playing time in the Premier League this season (4) than Roberto Firmino has in 141 minutes (1)58631 Fabio Carvalho has managed more shots in 40 minutes of playing time in the Premier League this season (4) than Roberto Firmino has in 141 minutes (1) Paul Merson predicts Arsenal vs Liverpool and other EPL GW 10 fixtures! Click here Poll : 0 votes Quick Links More from Sportskeeda Edited by Shambhu Ajith × Feedback Thank You! Be the first one to comment Follow Us Share Show More Comments GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? No thanks Delete GIF Cancel Update GIF Cancel Reply ❮ ❯ GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? No thanks Delete GIF Cancel Update GIF Cancel Reply ❮ ❯ Be the first one to comment on this story More from Sportskeeda Fetching more content... 1 Manage your profile Editing Story Queue Video Queue Editing Stats Writer Home SEO Redirection Admin Gaming Wiki Edits Taxonomy Home Edit Site Menu Mapping Dashboard Tag Pages Community Social Feed Queue Feed Center Notification Center Affiliate Home Manage Pages Bottom Tagline Dash Timeless Stories Logout No Results Found Get the free App now Manage notifications Popular ‍ Sports (30+) CricketCricket HomeCricket NewsScheduleIND vs SAAUS vs WIENG vs PAKLegends LeagueECC T10County ChampionshipBukhatir LeagueNZ T20 Tri-SeriesWomen's Asia Cup 2022Japan Cricket LeagueWI-W vs NZ-WECT10T20 World Cup FootballFootball HomeNewslettersSK Experts ScheduleEPLNations LeagueLa LigaLigue 1Champions LeagueFIFA WCMLS Bundesliga Serie A WWEWWE HomeNewslettersRumor RoundupRAWSmackDownResultsRosterChampionsWWE Extreme Rules 2022PPV ScheduleAEW EsportsEsports HomeMinecraftOverwatch 2RobloxGenshin ImpactFortniteGTAStreamersFree FirePUBGValorantBGMIPop CultureAnimeGaming TechWiki Guides TennisTennis HomeTennis calendarChina OpenTennis Results TodayATP RankingsWTA RankingsRoger FedererRafael NadalNovak DjokovicSerena Williams MMAMMA HomeUFC NewsONE ChampionshipUFC Fight NightScheduleRankingsResultsUFC Fights TonightONE Championship ResultsONE Championship ScheduleONE Championship Rankings KabaddiKabaddi HomePKL 2022PKL SchedulePKL Points TableKabaddi Rules WikiWiki HomeMinecraft WikiNaruto WikiTikTok WikiYoutube WikiGTA WikiTerraria WikiOne Piece Wiki MoreSportsBasketballIndian FootballNFLMinecraftFormula 1NascarPop CultureCollege FootballHockeyGolfAthleticsBadmintonGymnasticsWrestlingSwimmingTennisShootingBoxingArcheryWinter SportsRobloxSkateboardingKho KhoLifestyle LINKS About Us Write For Us Policies Editorial Standards Journalism Awards Fact Check Affiliate Program Careers CSR Privacy Policy Contact Us Edition: English हिन्दी