Southampton gave Liverpool a crushing defeat, and it didn't come on the pitch. Still, the loss at the hands of Southampton may harm the Reds season more than anything that occurs during the 90 minutes of game time. Missing out on Virgin Van Dijk is that loss of course.
Everything seemed to point to the Dutchman's arrival to Anfield. He is a skilled footballer at a position that Liverpool desperately needed to upgrade. He made it know that Liverpool was where he wanted to be, first by publicly revealing his interest and then by submitting a formal transfer request. Further still, he even left Southampton to train on his own. Other teams had interest as well but all reports were that Van Dijk had his heart set on joining Liverpool. And, he was Klopp's primary target. The last piece of a transfer deal puzzle would be Southampton but Liverpool were prepared to pay significantly for the center back. So, what could possibly go wrong?
The answer came earlier in the Summer when Southampton accused Liverpool of illegally approaching the player. Liverpool were forced to issue an apology and back-off their obvious interest. Still, Van Dijk was always their primary target. Southampton, angered by Liverpool's tactics claimed they would not sell the defenseman. Many believed this to be a negotiation tactic and if it were it worked. As the window moved on, reports were that Liverpool were prepared to offer even more to Southampton. But Southampton continued to claim he would not be sold.
In the end, Van Dijk remained at Southampton. Even worse, Liverpool apparently did not have a plan B. In fact, the only defensive player brought in this window was outside back Andy Robertson. How Klopp could so narrowly and stubbornly only target Van Dijk without having a back-up plan is puzzling. Their need was at center back but all of the transfer interest seemed to be on midfielders and attacking players. Sure, Liverpool improved this window with several nice acquisitions. But, they failed to address their biggest need. And this failure may ruin a promising season.
Now, Liverpool are forced to endure a grueling Premier League season, Champions League play, as well as other tournaments, with only 4 options at center back. Joel Matip seems right for the job, but behind him are the inconsistent play of Dejan Lovren and Ragnar Klavan. When playing well, both are capable of playing solid defense. Unfortunately, both are also prone to silly mistakes. The only other option is Joe Gomez, who is talented but young, and better suited for the outside. Liverpool had a second shut-down center back in Mamadou Sakho but he exited for Crystal Palace after spending over a year in Klopp's doghouse. The center back seems to have been a blind spot for Klopp, who only brought in 3 center backs since his arrival: Matip, Klavan, and Caulker on loan. This lack of attention may become exposed just as the play of the defense has been exposed on the field.
Last season Liverpool conceded 3 or more goals 4 times. In those games the Reds took just 3 points, losing 3 of the 4 games. They already conceded 3 goals once in this early campaign in a tie to Watford. If this trend continues, Liverpool supporters can only blame Klopp and his failure to address an obvious need.