Is it any coincidence that Crystal Palace have kept two clean sheets with Mamadou Sakho in the team? Is it a coincidence Liverpool leak more goals that Liza's famous bucket without the Frenchman in the team? Frankly... No.
No coincidence at all. Because of poor defending, Liverpool have thrown away any chance of bringing home the Premier League title this season. Because of poor defending, their hopes of finishing in the top-four are hanging by a thread.
For me, the whole Sakho, Jürgen Klopp issue seems like two things. A storm in a tea cup and not preparing for the affect your own decisions will have. He's well and truly cut off his nose to spite his face.
In the summer Klopp was quoted as saying "it's not that serious". Yet he insisted that one of the most reliable and technically gifted defensive Liverpool players in recent history - of which there sadly hasn't been many - should be sent away from the club.
First to "get fit" and secondly to gain "playing time". The latter, presumably because an overrated Croation, an ageing Brazilian midfielder and a "past it" veteran Bundesliga defender were infinitely better options at the time. Sakko posted on social media later that people need to know the "truth". I for one would.
Fast forward six months and here we are. Liverpool are unable to keep a clean sheet if you paid them. Oh hold on - you do pay them. Through merchandising, going to games, Sky TV subscriptions and God only knows whichever product they endorse. The list goes on and the goals keep flying in... At the wrong end!
Liverpool do not have a back for that is good enough to win anything and this is why this season, they won't. At worst it's made up of two defenders, a midfielder and a winger. At best three defenders. For this Klopp is responsible. This is not down to FSG. It's not down to Brendan Rodgers. I wouldn't even say it's down to the players. They may well be inadequate but the manager chooses them.
Frankly, the Klopp's handling of many of the players has been questionable. He's sold off the likes of Jordan Ibe. Now he's reportedly chasing a young lad from Fulham for £10m. Whilst Sheyi Ojo, Joe Gomez, and others are wasting away under the guise of "development".
For whatever Sakho has or hasn't done, Klopp has cut off his nose to spite his face. By all accounts the Frenchman is fast-becoming a vital cog in Sam Allardyce's Crystal Palace team. How ironic it would be if he plays a pivotal role in securing the Eagles' safety in the Premier League and at the same time pivotal in Liverpool's missing out on a top four slot. For this could well be the situation.
Don't be fooled by Liverpool's current "fourth place" both Arsenal and Manchester United have two games in hand over Liverpool and if they do well in both of those, then the Reds could easily slip down to sixth. Great. The light at the end Of the tunnel is looking increasingly like the Orient Express!
Management, weather in football or finance is about two things: managing personalities and situations. For me, Klopp has not done so well in the first. Now he's brought about a difficult one in the latter. One which he'll have to manage very vey carefully indeed.
Follow Ben on Twitter @MrBengreen
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