Ten games into the Premier League season and the talk intensifies that Liverpool are good enough to win a first title since 1990.
Going forward, Jurgen Klopp’s team are a delight to watch and their attacking thrust was again seen to good effect in last Saturday’s 4-2 away win over Crystal Palace.
Liverpool’s total of 23 points is the same as Manchester City and Arsenal at the head of the table, but only one team in the division's top 10 has conceded more than their 13 goals, the latest two of which were headers from Palace's James McArthur after more unconvincing defending at Selhurst Park.
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The concession of too many goals cost Liverpool the title under Klopp's predecessor Brendan Rodgers in 2014, and also hurt their pursuit of silverware under Roy Evans back in the 1990s.
Eamon Dunphy tipped Liverpool at the start of the season to end their famine, but feels that Klopp will have to shore up his defence in the January transfer window if they are to have a any chance of being crowned champions next May.
Speaking on RTÉ 2fm's Game On, Dunphy said: “Liverpool have a run of games now that on paper looks easy or easier. They have a chance to shoot ahead.
"There is, however, a problem with Liverpool. It's their defence. They have a new goalkeeper who doesn't look great. You won't win the Premier League with a dodgy defence.
"Liverpool have only kept one clean sheet since March and that was the 0-0 draw home draw with Manchester United a couple of Mondays ago.
"I tipped them to win the league at the start of the season. I hope he [Klopp] does something with his defence but he's going to have to buy a top class central defender at least and maybe a goalkeeper in the window in January."
Fellow Game On pundit Alan Cawley, while highlighting Liverpool’s strengths, drew a comparison with the Newcastle side, managed by Kevin Keegan in the 1990s.
"I have been so impressed with Liverpool and I love the way they attack,” said the former Shelbourne player.
"They are so fluent in terms of how dynamic they are – through the likes of Sadio Mane and Adam Lallana.
“At the moment, Sturridge can't get in the team simply because he won't do the work the likes of Firmino and Coutinho do. Jordan Henderson and Emre Can back them up brilliantly.
"But then, you look at the goals they gave away against a poor Crystal Palace team on Saturday.
"Liverpool remind me of the Newcastle team managed by Kevin Keegan, with Faustino Asprilla, David Ginola and Alan Shearer. They were scoring goals every week but they were so leaky at the back.
"I don’t think Klopp is as kamikaze as Keegan was, and is a far better coach than Keegan.
“Whether Liverpool win the league with a leaky defence, I'm not so sure, but they are looking very strong.”
The weekend’s action also saw Manchester United held at home by Burnley – a result that leaves them in eight place in the table.
It was another outcome that gives weight to Dunphy’s assertion that United won’t be heading back to the Champions League season – because of what he perceives is the lack of quality at Jose Mourinho’s disposal.
"The real cause of United's decline is that they don't have quality players in the side and at the club," Dunphy added.
"It doesn't matter how you line them out. You have to look at players before you look at tactics. There is this fetish almost amongst all of us who comment on football to look at the coach and give him either praise or blame because of his tactics.
"First, you have to look at the players and tactics have to suit the talent at your disposal.
“No matter what Mourinho does, and I said it before the start of the season, they are doomed to finish outside the top four because he does not have the players.”
