The arrival of Jurgen Klopp uplifted Liverpool significantly in terms of quality of football, the mentality to win big and battling out for silverware. But the gaffer was benefitted from some shrewd business made before his appointment and the squad he inherited handed him a strong base to enhance the Reds rather than a team overhaul.
However, the days are numbered for some of those resources who were crucial for Klopp’s early success but slipped down the pecking order eventually following the emergence of new names of late. The story of Nathaniel Clyne is quite similar as he does not make it to the matchday squad these days and tipped to move out to re-establish his career elsewhere.
The 27-year-old right-back was an instant hit following a £12.5m transfer from Southampton back in 2015 and earned stability with his not-so-overwhelming yet consistent displays.
The Englishman proved to be a worthy successor of Glen Johnson and featured week in week out in his first couple of seasons in Merseyside but lost his place to scouse sensation Trent Alexander-Arnold, the academy graduate who stepped up stupendously during a back injury that ruled him out of action until February.
Clyne, Liverpool’s forgotten man, has only appeared once this term in his side’s 2-1 League Cup defeat against Chelsea and has not even made it to the dugout since a 4-0 win against West Ham United in the opening day encounter.
Although he regularly featured during pre-season, the emergence of Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez imply why his time is up at Anfield despite Klopp’s words on the composure he provides at the back. The player seems to be a victim of Klopp’s free-flowing pressing football where the fullbacks play a crucial role in attack with timely crosses, pacy overlapping runs and cut insides which are not Clyne’s greatest of strengths while operating from the right.
Fabinho, the summer signing from AS Monaco is also capable of deputising in a right-back role and the Three Lions international, who vowed to compete for his place in summer, should explore his options over fighting a losing battle.
He is a quality defender who deserves first-team minutes and should alert the other top English forces who would love to have him if allowed to leave. Liverpool are currently well equipped at the back with seven clean sheets in 12 league encounters conceding only five times in the process. They are still unbeaten in Premier League, and this early success has been attained in spite of the omission of Nathaniel Clyne from Klopp’s stratagem.
