Saturday 11 March 2017 23:47, UK
What do Liverpool need to win the Premier League next season? The Soccer Saturday pundits have their say ahead of the Reds' Nissan Super Sunday clash with Burnley.
Despite enjoying 81 per cent possession at Turf Moor, Jurgen Klopp's side lost the reverse fixture 2-0, one of five defeats to bottom-half sides which has left them 14 points off leaders Chelsea.
Liverpool have scored more goals than any other Premier League side but have conceded 34 times this season, four more than 18th-placed Middlesbrough.
Here's what Phil Thompson, Paul Merson, Matt Le Tissier and Charlie Nicholas think Liverpool need to challenge for the title next season.
We have really good players but what we need is to bolster the squad. The spine of the team needs strengthening with four high-quality players, not youngsters.
Our squad is not big enough, whether we get European football or not, to compete against the rest of the other five. Other teams below us have got investment as well and, dare I say it, Everton could make it a big seven if they give Ronald Koeman funds to strengthen this summer.
If we have three injuries we are down to teenagers on the bench with League Cup experience, and to compete for the title you need quality players ready to come in.
Liverpool need to buy four or five new players. They need a full-back, they need a centre half, they need a central-midfield player and they need a centre-forward and potentially a goalkeeper. They need to buy a new spine of the team and that's hard to get. It usually takes years to build a solid spine to any team.
It will be very difficult to do it in one summer. If you look at Chelsea's spine they've got a world-class goalkeeper, they've got very good defenders, N'Golo Kante in midfield, they've got Eden Hazard and then they've got Diego Costa straight through the middle.
When Manchester United won the title, they had Peter Schmeichel in goal, Steve Bruce at the back, Roy Keane in the middle and so on. Arsenal had it with a good goalkeeper, Tony Adams or Sol Campbell, Patrick Vieira, Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry straight down the middle.
At the moment, Liverpool are nowhere near that sort of strength down the middle of the team and that's where they need to improve.
For a start, they need a top-drawer left-back because you can't keep playing James Milner there, even though he has done okay. I think they're a centre-back short as well.
There are plenty of positives going forward but I think they also need a top quality central-midfielder to go alongside Jordan Henderson, but I think most of their problems are at the back.
They're the top scorers in the league this season so that tells you that the issue which needs addressing this summer is putting a stronger defensive unit in place.
They need a top goalkeeper, I would suggest Liverpool must be interested in Joe Hart if they're serious about progressing. The AC Milan teenager Gianluigi Donnarumma is another one they should be looking at.
They need another centre-back with a bit of pace. Joel Matip has pace but always seems to be injured. A left-back and a steely midfield player are the other two areas Klopp needs to be looking at.
They're like Arsenal and Manchester United for me at the moment in being a bit further behind Chelsea than the other sides in the top six in terms of competing for the title.
They should have some money in the bank as Klopp has made a profit of £50-60m and has been pretty tight. Obviously the stadium is getting paid for and I don't know how much they'll get for Daniel Sturridge if he moves on but there must be some money to spend.
