LIVERPOOL, England (AP) - Philippe Coutinho’s belated return to the Liverpool team adds an extra layer of ingenuity to a forward line that promises to be one of the most thrilling in European soccer this season.
Entertainment is unlikely to be in short supply at Anfield now that the front three of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah will be prompted from midfield by Coutinho, who has been reintegrated after his unsettling offseason when he was wooed by Barcelona.
However many goals they score, though, Liverpool seems destined to be debilitated by its frailty at the back.
Whether it’s a collective problem - as manager Juergen Klopp is suggesting - or individuals simply making bad decisions or mistakes, Liverpool doesn’t have the defense to make a realistic challenge for major honors this season.
This past week, Liverpool has lost 5-0 at Manchester City, albeit after being down to 10 men for more than half the game, and then ruined a dominant performance against Sevilla in the Champions League by giving away two sloppy goals in a 2-2 draw.
There are legitimate concerns starting with the goalkeepers and going right across the defensive line, and they have been there from the moment Klopp took over in October 2015. It was odd, then, that he chose to sign only one defender during the transfer window, left back Andrew Robertson from relegated Premier League team Hull for 8 million pounds ($10.7 million). Robertson has played only one game so far this season.
Would things have been different had Liverpool managed to sign Southampton center back Virgil van Dijk, its much-publicized top defensive target? Klopp doubts it.
“I know here you’re always looking for this thing about the defense … that these problems will have been sorted with one player - it was mentioned we put all our money together and do this,” Klopp said after the Sevilla game. “It’s not about this. It’s about being dominant and losing a little bit of concentration, the grip of the game that you do not have in all defensive moments.”
The issues are clear to see. Klopp has rotated his two goalkeepers, Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius, in the last four matches, continuing the long-held uncertainty in that position.
At center back, Joel Matip is good on the ball but not a commanding presence at set pieces or under the high ball, while Dejan Lovren can be clumsy and error-prone, as shown against Sevilla when he completely missed an attempted clearance to allow a tap-in goal in the fifth minute.
At left back, Alberto Moreno can be an attacking threat but a defensive liability, and Robertson is inexperienced on this stage. At right back, youngsters Trent Alexander-Arnold (18) and Joe Gomez (20) have bright futures but can be caught out in behind them.
Of the so-called “Big 6” in the Premier League in Klopp’s time in England, Liverpool had the leakiest defense in the 2015-16 season and only Arsenal conceded more goals last season.
The neutral will want Klopp to keep things as they are, starting with the home match against Burnley in the league on Saturday. Liverpool is arguably the most exciting team to watch in the Premier League, with opportunities popping up regularly at both ends. The team’s first-half performance in the Sevilla game was so exhilarating that Liverpool’s fans gave the players a standing ovation as they went off for halftime.
Throw the returning Coutinho into the mix, and Adam Lallana when he is back from a thigh injury maybe next month, and Liverpool’s attacking options are seemingly limitless.
It’s what happens at the other end, however, that could decide the Reds’ fate this season.
Here’s what else to watch out for this weekend in the Premier League:
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ROONEY’S RETURN
On Sunday, Wayne Rooney makes his first return to Old Trafford since leaving Manchester United to rejoin boyhood club Everton.
Rooney spent 13 trophy-filled years at United and is the club’s record scorer with 253 goals, yet seemingly isn’t held in the same regard as United’s great names of the past like Bobby Charlton, Eric Cantona and Ryan Giggs.
United midfielder Jesse Lingard predicted Rooney will receive a good reception, saying: “He’s a legend at the club and we will always welcome him back.”
United leads on goal difference after collecting 10 points from a possible 12. Everton has scored only two goals in four games this season, Rooney grabbing both of them.
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HODGSON’S FIRST GAME
Fifteen months after leaving the England job, Roy Hodgson is back in management after taking over at Crystal Palace.
Palace fired Frank de Boer after only four league games, with the team in last place and yet to score a goal in four straight losses. Hodgson’s first game in charge is at home to Southampton on Saturday.
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More AP Premier League coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/PremierLeague
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Steve Douglas is at www.twitter.com/sdouglas80
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