Souness accuses Wijnaldum of lacking "intensity" in final Liverpool season

Georginio Wijanldum has not played with his usual intensity claims Graeme Souness, who believes Liverpool need a midfield overhaul.

The Reds have not been short of problems this season as they battle to make the top four.

Their resources have been tested which has exposed flaws in their midfield.

Wijnaldum's future has dominated the season with his contract due to expire in the summer, although Klopp has continued to play him on a regular basis.

He is expected to join Barcelona and Souness has questioned his intensity on the pitch but also how his actions will have affected the dressing room.

“Injuries have hurt Liverpool badly, but they have not played with the same intensity either. Some players have felt sorry for themselves,” he wrote in his Sunday Times column.

“They have not responded as well as Jurgen Klopp would have expected or wanted them to. They felt it wasn’t their year and have meekly accepted that.

"They need to rebuild their midfield — it’s the catalyst for their pressing. People talk about the strikers, but a lot of their success was based on getting the ball back so quickly because of Georginio Wijnaldum, Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Fabinho putting a shift in.

“Wijnaldum is leaving for Barcelona and I’m not sure how I’d have reacted to a player who made it clear he was off, how that goes down in a dressing-room. The players may make a joke of it, but it also may not sit well with all of them.

“He’s not played with the same intensity this season, Henderson has been absent with injuries, Naby Keïta has not shown he can step up, Milner’s another year older, Fabinho’s often filled in at centre back and Thiago Alcantara has come into a team that’s been huffing and puffing.”

Wijnaldum moved to Liverpool in Klopp's first summer transfer window and has won both the Premier League and Champions League.

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