Eamon Dunphy believes it is "strange and extremely worrying" that Jürgen Klopp’s assistant Zeljko Buvac has suddenly departed the club and thinks it could play into Roma’s hands this week.
The Reds travel to the Italian capital for Wednesday’s return leg in the Champions League semi-final with a 5-2 lead after another clinical attacking display.
Roma’s two late goals have given them a lifeline and after scoring three gaosl at Stamford Bridge earlier this season and overcoming a three-goal deficit to dump Barcelona out of Europe in the last round, Dunphy says the tie is far from over.
"The game at Anfield last week, Roma dominated the first 25 minutes and dominated the last 15 minutes," he told 2fm’s Game On.
"These guys beat Barcelona, they beat Chelsea and scored three goals at Stamford Bridge.
"They kept Lionel Messi out in Rome. You think they are going to be terrified of the Liverpool front three?"
The RTÉ analyst says that while the Premier League side are favourites, the sudden departure of Buvac, Klopp’s right-hand man for 17 years is a concern.
Buvac, the assistant manager who Klopp has described as "the brain" behind his coaching set-up has stepped aside for personal reasons.
"It’s strange and extremely worrying. Somebody as serious and as committed for 17 years, to leave right now, indicates that there is a serious problem. Somebody is not behaving well. Things that should be done aren’t being done.
"We will have to see how that is reflected in the game, if it is at all. If they go 1-0 down in the first 15, 20 minutes, if they are 2-0 down with 15 minutes to go, those goals that Mo Salah has scored can evaporate.
"If you don’t do everything right in preparation, and it doesn’t look like they have done, the Gods have a way of giving you a kick."
