Liverpool supporters might have been coloured unimpressed by the tepid nature of Jurgen Klopp's side's draw against Luton Town in the Premier League last Sunday, but the 3-2 Europa League defeat at the hands of struggling Toulouse in France was a chastening loss of a far greater concern.
Having restructured the midfield on an industrial scale across the summer following a terrible 2022/23 campaign, Liverpool could be forgiven for dropping the standards on occasion after an impressive start has placed them just three points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City after 11 matches.
But after the discordant visitors fell behind in the first half, they scarcely looked like establishing a foothold and crafting a positive outcome, despite Diogo Jota's late weaving run and strike to half the deficit before injury time, having seen a fluke own goal make it 2-1 beforehand.
The climax came when Jarell Quansah embodied the never-die spirit of Klopp's Liverpool, bundling in from close range in the 97th minute to restore parity, much like Luis Diaz at Kenilworth Road mere days ago.
Only this time, the video assistant referee played god and deemed Alexis Mac Allister to have handled in the build-up; not only was this a contentious decision (the ball did brush his upper arm, but only after bouncing his chest) but it was several phases of play before the young centre-back struck an unforgettable strike, his first at senior level.
His joy was eradicated and Liverpool will now be forced to treat the upcoming tie against Austrian team LASK at the end of November with the upmost respect; Klopp will not be able to make as many rotations as perhaps he would have liked.
It's been a bad week for the Anfield side but they have not played at their home ground for three matches now since a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest in October, and focus will now be firmly fixed on returning to winning ways against Brentford on Sunday.
Klopp will be incensed in the wake of the European loss, the intensity, cohesion and desire simply weren't intact against Toulouse, and alterations are more than likely, with Kostas Tsimikas failing to take his big opportunity to cement a spot in the first-team.
Kostas Tsimikas' performance vs Toulouse
Just short of one month ago, Liverpool left-back and Scotland captain Andy Robertson was forced off against Spain in his nation's Euro 2024 qualifying defeat with what appeared to be a dislocated shoulder.
Soon after, Klopp confirmed that the 29-year-old was set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines. A big blow for Liverpool, who are reliant on Robertson's creativity and energy down the left channel.
His loss was Tsimikas' gain, who had played only four minutes in the league before advancing to top spot at left-back, but he's not performing anywhere near the standard required and was heavily at fault for Aron Donnum's goal after being robbed by the Norwegian winger, who headed toward Caoimhin Kelleher's goal and found the back of the net.
In his post-match ratings, the Liverpool Echo's Ian Doyle branded the 27-year-old with a lowly 4/10 match rating, writing: 'Very poor when dispossessed for the opener and unable to offer much going forward. Subbed.'
As per Sofascore, Tsimikas won just two duels, failed to make a single key pass and failed with all three of his attempted crosses, substituted at half-time and doing little to convince his German manager that he deserves to start on Sunday against the Bees.
Brentford are resilient and organised. Thomas Frank's side are enjoying a three-match winning run in the Premier League that includes victories over Chelsea and West Ham United.
The west Londoners will look to absorb pressure and hit Liverpool on the counter, and Tsimikas' attacking input could be a valuable tool; the Greek ace ranks among the top 9% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.
But can Klopp trust him? The Toulouse match was a sign that perhaps the former Borussia Dortmund man cannot.
Based on current form and his performance last week, it might be wise to field Joe Gomez at left-back, with the principally right-sided defender utilised in the position against Luton and playing a decent game, all things considered.
The stats that show why Gomez must start ahead of Tsimikas
Before the summer, a large portion of Liverpool supporters would not have been disheartened had Gomez been sold. Signed from Charlton Athletic for £3.5m in 2015, aged just 18, the Englishman has now made 188 appearances for the Reds, winning the sweep of silverware under Klopp's management.
Now 26, Gomez has ebbed and flowed from form and fitness for several years, but he is back on track this year after suffering at the centre of Liverpool's woes last season, having even been praised for his “renaissance” by writer Joel Rabinowitz, who also dubbed him "outstanding".
Largely reliable, Gomez is quick and composed, while ranking among the top 4% of positional peers for pass completion, and though he's not the most attack-driven of players, the stability is something that Klopp's side need to vanquish this mini-tough spell.
(per 90)
Prog. Passes
Prog. Carries
Prog. Passes Rec.
SCA
Gomez
4.64
1.61
5.54
2.68
Tsimikas
6.00
3.50
14.5
4.00
*Statistics sourced via FBref
At a glance, the table above might appear to suggest that Tsimikas is the obvious choice for deployment, and indeed, he does provide a greater level of offensive output, but the key metric here is the progressive passes received per 90.
The £85k-per-week Gomez remains in his section, not often marauding into danger; despite this, he's still contributing with a decent production of shot-creating actions per 90, and that's having played 20% of his games this season in central defence.
Deployed at left-back against Luton, Gomez impressed and won seven of his ten duels, completing 91% of his passes, making two key passes and crucially making five tackles, as per Sofascore.
It is not, it must be stressed, the perfect solution, but it could add a layer to the equilibrium against Brentford and perhaps beyond.
Tsimikas has a good delivery in his locker and can emulate certain elements of Robertson's game, sustaining the system, but he's a liability at the moment, and taking him out of the firing line might prove to be a prudent move.
