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Ray Houghton: A 'different' Liverpool will face Ajax

Updated / Wednesday, 14 Sep 2022 10:10
Klopp has been plotting a Liverpool return to form
Klopp has been plotting a Liverpool return to form

Ray Houghton believes Liverpool will show signs of a revival when they take on Ajax in the Champions League on Tuesday night.

Last season's finalists have made an indifferent start to the new Premier League and European campaign, with the nadir coming last Wednesday when they were comprehensively dismantled 4-1 at Napoli.

Jurgen Klopp's side will hope to get their Champions League group stage journey back on track when Ajax visit Anfield (live on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player from 7.30pm) and with their weekend game against Wolves postponed after the death of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, ex-Liverpool and Republic of Ireland midfielder Houghton thinks the Reds will have ironed out some of the issues that have affected them.

"The whole team from front to back weren't doing their jobs as a defensive unit [against Napoli]," he told RTÉ's Morning Ireland.

"That's something (Klopp) has been working on the last few days and I think you're going to see a different Liverpool in tonight's match against Ajax.

"It's a game they need to win. If they're going to qualify out of the group, they can't afford to lose tonight because having lost the first game 4-1 and Ajax beating Rangers 4-0, Napoli and Ajax are in the box seats at the moment."

Houghton suggested that the Dutch side might prove to be the best type of opposition for a "wounded" Liverpool to face.

"I actually think Ajax are the ideal team to play against Liverpool," he said.

"I watched them last week and thought they were absolutely brilliant, moved the ball quickly, loved to have possession football.

"But Liverpool have had that weekend off, they should be a bit fitter, should be really focused on this game, should have been stung by the criticism that they received after the Napoli defeat and I expect them to come out tonight, taking the game to Ajax, getting on top of them, pressurising them high up the pitch, winning the ball back and then finishing the chances."

Houghton added that while results have been average, Liverpool's underlying numbers in general play have not been as negative.

"The first six games, Liverpool have lost to Man United, they've drawn three and won two. But if you go into the stats and have a look at possession, they've had virtually 70% possession, apart from the Everton game when they had 61%, on average in the other five games," he said.

"They've had more opportunities at goal than the opposition in all of the games that they've played.

"So then you've got to come down to the common denominator. Why aren't they winning? And it's because they are a little bit wasteful in front of goal and they're not defending anywhere near the level that they should be and I think that's something that Jurgen has been speaking about over the last few days."

Naples proved a chastening experience for the Reds

Highlighting the profligacy in front of goal and the porous defence, Houghton said that once both of those issues are sorted out, "Liverpool will be a much better team and getting higher up the league".

Meanwhile, Ajax coach Alfred Schreuder expects his side to encounter a storm at Anfield but hopes he can take some tips from former boss Erik Ten Hag to help his side cope.

"Yeah we expect to go into a storm. We are also good. We try and play our own game," he said.

"You have to have courage and tomorrow, if we can do that, we have a chance. If you don't have it it is going to be difficult, especially one on one."

Schreuder’s predecessor Ten Hag has already recorded a victory over Liverpool this season as the new Manchester United manager and the current Ajax boss studied that performance as part of their preparations.

"I have looked at the match what they did. There are certain things they did that are applicable to us from the Manchester United match," he added.

Follow Liverpool v Ajax via our live blog on RTÉ.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app, or watch live on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player from 7.30pm.

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