Liverpool's 5-0 victory over West Ham United is considered a masterpiece under the management of Jurgen Klopp. However, the match also left a regret for Liverpool - in the 37th minute, Liverpool central defender Joe Gomez was substituted due to injury, forcing Klopp to send young trainee Konsa onto the field.
Konsa, who is the captain of Liverpool U21 and the England youth team, has serious lack of game experience. He has been learning from Van Dijk in the Liverpool first team for a long time, but he not only failed to learn Van Dijk's defensive skills, but also likes to confidently carry the ball forward in the backcourt, resulting in the consequences of imitating without success. This season, Konsa made consecutive mistakes in two games where he came on as a substitute, causing Klopp to completely lose confidence in him. If it weren't for the fact that there were only Konsa and Van Dijk left in the team, Klopp would never have let Konsa play. Also, Liverpool had already taken the lead before Gomez got injured, otherwise, Yuto Nagatomo might have become the first choice for the substitute center-back.
Liverpool's performance this season has indeed been eye-catching, but the loopholes in the defense are also very obvious: Konate's injury gave Gomez, who had previously performed unstably, the opportunity to play, although Gomez's performance in these few games was quite good, but no one can guarantee that he will not make another low-level mistake again.
This time, Gomez's injury once again reduced the quality of Liverpool's defense. Although as long as Van Dijk is on the field, his partner can exert 200% of their ability, judging from past performances, the 21-year-old Konsa is really not up to the task. In the next two league matches, Liverpool will face Manchester United first and then Tottenham Hotspur. The match against Tottenham is the semi-final of the League Cup. If Liverpool loses this match due to defensive problems, they will lose the chance to compete for the quadruple crown.
As the Liverpool manager after Klopp, Klopp has indeed performed outstandingly in this half-season, and his tactics are an upgraded version of Klopp's. In these four months, Klopp has faced multiple major tests, and he has successfully withstood the test, leading Liverpool to the top of the Champions League group stage and the Premier League standings. He can be said to have utilized the squad left by Klopp to the extreme, and in the future, he may have the hope to surpass Klopp and become one of the greatest managers of Liverpool in the 21st century.
The injuries of Gomez and Konate have indeed caused a lot of trouble for Klopp's lineup arrangements. Konsa's temporary firefighting is just a delaying tactic. It is hoped that Konsa can withstand the pressure when Gomez and Konate are injured, help Klopp overcome this major hurdle, and also hope that these two world-class superstars, Gomez and Konate, can recover from their injuries as soon as possible and add luster to Liverpool's championship campaign.