Liverpool’s crisis continues as Isak flops, Wirtz stat pad and greedy Salah return

Liverpool won 5-1 and yet the same doubts remain, with the most agreeable of the Patsies in Eintracht Frankfurt, offering a mere suspension of the crisis.

It doesn’t say much for Liverpool’s resilience and defensive shape that commentator Darren Fletcher’s revelation that “it’s the first time we’ve put the ball forward in Frankfurt for a while”, as the German team broke the press and got to halfway in the 26th minute, before scoring the game’s opening goal.

It was a beautiful affair, featuring a zip ball in midfield, a couple of moves from the veteran Mario Gotze to tie the move together, and a superb driven finish through the legs of Andy Robertson and former Leeds full-back Rasmussen at the post. But there was one gaping hole in Liverpool’s midfield.

That’s usually filled by Ryan Gruenbrich and/or Alexis McAllister, neither of whom started here, though based on the efforts of Curtis Jones and Dominic Szoboszalai to break down Frankfurt’s attack, Frankfurt won’t be overly concerned about losing their starting spots in the team.

They were close to tackling each other, both charging at the man on the ball and bypassing Götze in his favorable position to provide support for Christensen.

The 3-1 half-time scoreline suggested that Liverpool roared back, and in a sense they did, but almost entirely thanks to an offense that has now conceded 29 goals in ten games in the Bundesliga and Champions League this season. Atlético Madrid, Up 4-0 by Arsenal on Tuesdaydefeated them 5-1 on match day two.

Read more: Liverpool beat Bayern by false £113m star with Wertz, Salah controversy and fresh transfer outlook

Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Connet each scored from a corner. Those were both excellent deliveries, but that shouldn’t have been the only factor in making the goal inevitable. The Frankfurt defenders were shouldering and arms raised questioning what the bloody hell they were supposed to do: “Mark them?! No.”

Hugo Ektyk had already pulled Liverpool level with a goal that ranks much closer to ‘just shouldn’t happen’ for a Champions League football team.

After a Frankfurt attack broke down, Robertson played a straight pass from inside his own box and Michael Zettrier’s Ektyk hit the back of the net seven seconds later. In an era in which managers are prone to transfer risks in both attack and defence, this was pathetic.

Robertson’s pass was excellent and Ektyk played his role to perfection, showing Searing’s pace to outplay, a perfect touch to take Robin Koch out of the equation and finish confidently under the goalkeeper.

And Slott will have been pleased with the quality of the goals in the second half too, not least because Florian Wertz broke his assists duck, first sliding the ball in for Cody Gakpo at the back post and then playing a five-yard ball for Dominik Szobosl Zai to hit on the edge of the box. But again, it was that simple.

Wirtz found himself in acres of space on the right before playing a pass that Ally McCoist was desperate to admire so brilliantly but it would have been a decent balls-up had he failed to find Gakpo. And there was a fearsome defensive header before Szobszalai’s low stinger.

We fully accept that Liverpool can only beat what they’re up against, and they will have built some vital confidence ahead of their visit to Brentford on Sunday. But we can’t help but think of the anxiety that has surfaced in the past month as a result of this 5-1 demolition.

Alexander Isak was hauled off at half-time, and Steve McManaman was wondering “whether it’s an injury or if they’re just being conservative with his fitness” after failing to factor in another two missed chances and his failure to notice the team.

The midfield was neglected and the defense found what it was looking for when Frankfurt took the lead.

Mohamed Salah came on but looked like a boil in front of goal as he has done for the past few weeks, and the German wouldn’t have endeared himself to Wertz by shooting from a tight angle instead of squaring it to score his first Liverpool goal. It doesn’t bode well that greedy Salah is back.

Read more: Salah not left ‘spinning’ as Ern Slott thinks Liverpool to Frankfurt wrong

And any improvement, including those assists for Wertz, has to be taken with the huge pinch of salt required by playing against a team that has scored the most goals in the Bundesliga (18) and the most in the Champions League (11).

Liverpool needed it but we are yet to see if they will avert the crisis.