David James: This is why Liverpool will go trophyless this season

Former Liverpool goalkeeper David James believes Jurgen Klopp’s men have no chance of winning the Premier League title with their current defence.

Liverpool have the most prolific attack of the league with 51 goals in 22 games, but they have struggled at the back, conceding 27 times already – second only to Manchester City’s 28 as the most in the top six.

Leaders Chelsea on the other hand have conceded just 15 times and James believes it is impossible to keep up with the league’s top teams unless Liverpool improve in defence.

“The problem I have had with Liverpool historically, over the last five or six years, has been that they will score lots of goals, but they will also concede lots of goals,” James said, speaking at the launch event this week for the Star Sixes tournament, to be held at the O2 Arena in London in July.

“I say you cannot win leagues, it is not the way to win a league by having to score four goals because you have conceded three, or scoring three because you have conceded two.

“The little run they had when they had clean sheets, all of a sudden Liverpool jumped, or kept momentum with Chelsea at least.

“But then they have started going back to conceding goals and having to score that extra goal, that extra two goals. The weekend at Swansea [a 3-2 home loss] was no different, 0-0 at half time and concede two sloppy goals.”