'Age does not wait for anyone'

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Liverpool have made their worst start to a Premier League season in ten years and perhaps only have themselves to blame.

A 3-2 defeat at Arsenal on Sunday left the Reds with just ten points from eight matches this season – the last time they were on fewer points at the same stage of the campaign was in 2012/13 (nine).

Liverpool have had a miserable start to the season with just two wins from eight matches

The defeat also means Liverpool are still looking for their first league win away from home this term – not since the 2010/11 season under Roy Hodgson have the Reds failed to win any of their first four league away matches in a single campaign.

Jurgen Klopp’s men have been one of the best sides in Europe over the last few seasons but have been a shadow of that so far this season.

What’s most alarming from the Emirates Stadium clash and throughout 2022/23 is that Liverpool have lacked their usual zip across the team.

And talkSPORT has been told that Liverpool‘s ageing squad could be part of the problem.

Micky Gray told talkSPORT: “When you think about what they’ve done over the last four to five seasons and how they’ve entertained and the way that they’ve played, is it just down to one man leaving in Sadio Mane? It can’t be.

“Something’s drastically wrong there because they’re the type of games where Liverpool would just brush teams aside.

The likes of Jordan Henderson and Joel Matip have been with Liverpool from the early days of Klopp’s tenure

He continued: “You look at the age of the side. Age does not wait for anyone.

“Jordan Henderson, as well as he’s done over the years for Liverpool, is a year older. James Milner, who’s had a lot of game time this season, is another year older.

“Mane has left and although Luis Diaz has settled into a Liverpool shirt, it does take time.”

Reds legend Mark Lawrenson echoed the suggestions that Liverpool’s top brass have failed to address the ageing squad issue – a point also made by fellow Anfield great Graeme Souness.

However, Lawrenson is expecting Fenway Sports Group chief John W Henry and the powers that be at the club to tackle things at the next available opportunity.

Lawrenson told Weekend Sports Breakfast: “You’ve got to have one eye on the future and they didn’t.

Sections of Liverpool fans have criticised Reds owner John W Henry over a perceived lack of spending on new players in recent seasons

Liverpool legends Souness and Lawrenson have highlighted a big problem in the current Reds squad

“I think that famous game is Watford in the Cup and Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley said they needed to address it.

“You’d argue at the moment that they’ve not really addressed it and that may be because they didn’t really have the money to address it.

“People were saying they should spend £100million on Jude Bellingham, but the club’s not like that. They’re not owned by a country, they’re owned by Americans who generally are very, very good.

“They’ve improved a stand and the Anfield Road End… so Klopp’s had to be patient.

“So I’d have thought that by the time they get to January they will release some money for him… just to bolster the squad.

“He’s at least two, if not three players short.”

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