Liverpool are only one point above fifth place in the Premier League
Jordan Henderson’s move to centre-back could cost Liverpool a Champions League place.
That’s the view of Jamie O’Hara, who watched Jurgen Klopp’s men lose a third consecutive match on Saturday.
The disastrous 3-1 defeat against Leicester has left last season’s champions a solitary point above fifth-placed Chelsea, who have a game in hand.
Henderson has been moved to the centre of defence due to long-term injuries suffered by Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip, and his presence at the heart of Liverpool’s midfield has clearly been missed.
Former Tottenham and Wolves midfielder O’Hara believes Chelsea will leapfrog Liverpool and leave Klopp’s side out of the top four by the end of this season.
He elaborated on the issues caused by van Dijk’s absence, while suggesting that Henderson’s move to the back is “killing” Liverpool.
Speaking on talkSPORT, O’Hara said: “I think they’re gonna struggle, I really do.
“I think Liverpool could drop out of the top four this season, and it’s crazy to say it, and I can’t believe I’m saying it, but the way that they’re playing, with the defence and the confidence in the back four, Alisson all of a sudden looks like he’s just making mistake after mistake, they’ve lost that invincibility that they had as a team.
“I look at Chelsea, and I think with the new manager coming in and the way they’re getting results and the way they’re playing and the squad they’ve got, I think Liverpool are going to end up out of the top four this season, I really do.
“What you’re seeing at the moment with Liverpool is there’s just no cohesion at the back is there.
“When van Dijk’s there, every single player knows their role when he’s around them. They know where he’s going to be, they know how he’s going to play.
“Now they’ve got new players coming in, who have come from the Championship. This team, in a back four, there’s just nothing about their cohesion with the side that they’ve got, and they’ve lost all confidence.
“Teams have done their homework on Liverpool with the back four, and without van Dijk (Andy) Robertson and Trent (Alexander-Arnold) can play so high up the pitch, because you could leave van Dijk one-v-one, and he took responsibility and he was a leader and that’s what allowed Robertson and Trent to play so high up.
“Now, when they give the ball away Liverpool in midfield, and they’re giving it away more than they normally would, they’re out of the game and you’re in on the back two players, and because it’s not van Dijk, teams are fancying themselves to be more gung-ho against them and really go for it.
“Playing Jordan Henderson centre-half is killing Liverpool. Their best player in midfield in terms of energy and leadership and desire, to drag people up the pitch, he’s having to play centre-half .
“It’s killing them.”
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