EVER since Alexander Oxlade – Chamberlain or The Ox as he is known – joined Liverpool they have not won a single game yet. Now with the latest loss to Leicester and the memes that are going around making fun of Liverpool and the Ox, it’s not easy to have a counter argument on why they spent that kind of money on him.

I think most Liverpool fans, and to be honest most football fans, know that the they needed to beef up their defence, which is considered the Achilles heel of the current Liverpool side. Why they decided to spend US$40 million on a player that is on the last year of his contract is mind boggling to say the least, when the more immediate concern was the defence.

To say the defence is a long-standing problem is an understatement. Since Jurgen Klopp’s appointment, Liverpool have conceded 91 goals in 73 Premier League games. Spurs (57) , Manchester United (58), Chelsea (74) and Manchester City (75) can all boast considerably better records, while even Arsenal (81) and Southhampton (83) have meaner defences. West Brom (92) and Leicester (93) are also not far behind.

Klopp has still only signed three central defenders in his time at Anfield, refused to settle his differences with Mamadou Sakho who perhaps was the club’s best centre-half , and tried to lure Virgil Van Dijk at the start of the transfer window . That was surely an admission his defence needed strengthening, and yet he had no plan B or alternative target .

These are strange times at Liverpool as they look like they are stuck in a flux. They were rampant against a miserable Arsenal but fell apart dramatically after Sado Mane got sent off against Manchester City. Now they seem to scraping by without Mane and even with Philipe Coutinho back in the squad they don’t seem to be firing on all cylinders. Was Mane such a talisman or are they a one man club? It does beg the question.

It’s a long season and a club like Liverpool will eventually find the right formula with the depth they have, but for now they have no major injury excuses and little faith in the defence. With a visit to the King Power coming up again on the weekend these are trying times in Anfield. – September 23, 2017.

* Gogulan Dorairajoo is manager of KL Galaxy FC and an all-round football pundit with a passion for the world’s greatest sport. He also happens to be a long suffering fan of Aston Villa FC.

* This is the opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insight. Article may be edited for brevity and clarity.