Daniel Sturridge explains in detail why Luis Diaz has been a 'massive miss' for Liverpool this season

Liverpool’s summer of change in the transfer window is starting to catch up to them after a third defeat in succession.

The Reds looked to have made light of such upheaval after winning their opening five Premier League matches of the season.

But the walls have since come crashing down, with three away defeats highlighting that this could very well be a transition year for Liverpool.

Some of the biggest change has come in the front line, where Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz were sold. Diogo Jota’s tragic death meant Liverpool started the season without three of their regular forwards.

Diaz’s sale was not necessarily an unpopular one, with supporters long feeling that they could potentially upgrade on the Colombian’s output.

However, Diaz has started brilliantly at Bayern Munich, and after defeat at Chelsea, former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has highlighted that the Reds are missing much more than the winger’s goals.

Liverpool missing Luis Diaz work-rate

While Liverpool brought in Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak to fill their centre-forward positions this summer, they did not sign a straight replacement for Diaz.

That decision has been criticised by some portions of the fan base, and according to Sturridge, it has left Liverpool without a ‘workhorse’ in their attack.

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“Luis Diaz is a massive miss for me,” the former striker told Sky Sports after Saturday’s game. “When we look at Liverpool last year and how they used to press, I think he was arguably the one who would set the press in the front three. Szoboszlai in midfield was that person, but for me Luis Diaz, how tenacious he is on the ball, hungry to get the ball back for his team, interceptions, he brought something to Liverpool Football Club that they are now missing.”

“Isak, Ekitike, Wirtz, I’m not saying they don’t work hard, we can’t question Wirtz’s work rate or Isak and Ekitike’s quality,” Sturridge added. “But they’re attack-minded players. I think Luis Diaz, he would sacrifice himself a little bit more defensively.

“That’s the one thing they have to figure out in attack, who’s going to give themselves up a little bit and say I’m maybe not searching for the numbers. There always has to be one guy in a front three who is not stats hungry.

“It’s important to understand which one is going to be our workhorse, which one is going to be our guy who we’re going to let do what he wants to do, and which one is going to be a hybrid of both. Right now I’m not sure the manager quite knows what he’s going to do with that.”

Diaz adds two more to Bayern tally as Liverpool lose

As if to rub salt into Liverpool’s open wounds, and to underline Sturridge’s point, Diaz hit two more goals for Bayern on Saturday.

The 28-year-old scored twice away to Liverpool’s next Champions League opponents, Eintracht Frankfurt, and also laid on an assist for Harry Kane.

Diaz now has six goals and four assists in 10 appearances for his new club. Although it is invariably a little easier to score for Bayern in the Bundesliga than for Liverpool in the Premier League, that tells its own story.

Things can still work out well for the Reds, they arguably have better players in their attack this year compared to last. But they need to listen to Sturridge’s advice and work out who is doing what.

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