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All the talk last summer was that Liverpool had addressed their goalscoring woes.

The squad had been bolstered by nearly £80million worth of attacking talent.

A major overhaul of the striking department saw Mario Balotelli, Fabio Borini and Rickie Lambert shown the door.

Christian Benteke, Roberto Firmino and Danny Ings were snapped up to compliment Daniel Sturridge, while Divock Origi arrived at Anfield following his season-long loan at Lille.

However, rather than transform Liverpool’s fortunes in the final third, their plight has actually deepened as they limp towards the midway point of the campaign.

Having scored just 52 league goals in 2014/15, the Reds have managed only 20 in 17 Premier League matches this term. Only Aston Villa, Swansea, Sunderland, Newcastle, West Brom and Stoke in the top flight have scored fewer.

Sunday’s miserable 3-0 defeat at Watford was the fifth time this season the Reds have fired blanks. A problem which dogged the final 18 months of Brendan Rodgers’ reign is now a growing concern for Jurgen Klopp.

Philippe Coutinho is Liverpool’s leading scorer with five league goals as the club’s frontmen continue to misfire.

Christian Benteke

The Belgium international hasn’t come close to living up to the hype since his £32.5million move from Aston Villa.

The second most expensive signing in the club’s history has scored five goals in 17 appearances - four in 14 games in the Premier League.

Rodgers was the driving force behind signing Benteke as he finally convinced owners Fenway Sports Group to trigger his release clause after a summer-long chase.

There was a dream start for the 6ft 3ins frontman as he got the winner on his home debut against Bournemouth and then bagged a stunning consolation in the defeat at Old Trafford.

However, injuries hampered his progress and since Klopp’s appointment doubts over Benteke’s ability to fit the German’s style have continued to grow with a run of lifeless performances.

Klopp demands a tireless work rate from his strikers but Benteke has been too static. Dropped for the trip to Vicarage Road, Benteke then saw Origi brought off the bench before he finally got the nod himself late on.

(Image: Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Roberto Firmino

Liverpool believed they had pulled off a major coup when chief executive Ian Ayre returned from Chile with the signature of Firmino during the Copa America.

The Brazil international attacker had scored 49 goals and produced nearly as many assists during a four-and-a-half year stint in Germany with Hoffenheim.

He cost the Reds an initial fee of £21million, rising to £29million with various add-ons.

Legendary fellow countryman Ronaldinho said: “For Liverpool to have Coutinho and Firmino is a big achievement for them. The creativity, intelligence and goals they have between them can change Liverpool as a team. It is a big sign of intent.”

However, five months on, Firmino it’s been a baptism of fire for the 24-year-old. His 20 appearances in all competitions have yielded just one goal.

There have only been fleeting glimpses of his undoubted ability. Shunted out wide in a struggling team under Rodgers, he looked like a fish out of water before cracking a bone in his back and being sidelined for a month.

The new manager knew him well from his time in Germany. “I’d say a year ago for a few months for sure he was the best player in the Bundesliga,” Klopp raved shortly after his appointment. “When I heard Liverpool took him, I thought ‘good choice’.”

His eye-catching performance in the 4-1 rout of Manchester City last month was hailed as the night when he truly announced himself on the Premier League stage. He created the first two goals and then bagged the third himself but it proved to be a false dawn.

Since then standards have slipped and he was woeful after being asked to lead the line against Watford.

Daniel Sturridge

This was supposed to be the season when the England international finally put his injury woes behind him. The hip surgery he underwent back in May was supposed to have cured his ills.

However, the reality is that Liverpool still can’t count on Sturridge, whose body continues to repeatedly let him down. He has made just four starts and two substitute appearances this season.

Classy doubles against Aston Villa in the Premier League and Southampton in the League Cup provided timely reminders of his quality but on each occasion he broke down soon after.

When Luis Suarez was sold to Barcelona in the summer of 2014, Sturridge was expected to become the focal point of the Liverpool attack. However, since the prolific Uruguayan frontman departed, Sturridge has started just 16 of the Reds’ 84 fixtures.

A bruised knee sustained in training and then a foot problem kept him sidelined for the first nine matches of Klopp’s reign. He has played just 110 minutes of football since with a hamstring strain suffered at Newcastle a fortnight ago putting him back on the treatment table.

Klopp hoped he would be available for the trip to Watford but he has yet to resume full training.

Divock Origi

The young Belgian striker has made progress after a testing start to his Liverpool career. Signed for £10million following the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Origi finally joined the Reds in July after completing a season-long loan with Lille.

The 20-year-old frontman was always going to start off down the pecking order as he got to grips with the demands of English football.

Origi made just one brief league appearance under Rodgers but since Klopp has taken over his opportunities to shine have been more frequent.

He started Klopp’s first game at Tottenham and has grown in confidence since. A classy hat-trick in the 6-1 thrashing of Southampton in the League Cup was followed by his dramatic late equaliser in the 2-2 league draw with West Brom.

In eight starts and seven sub appearances in all competitions he has scored four goals.

Origi is still raw but his potential is clear. His willingness to close down space and stretch defenders has endeared him to Klopp and fans alike. He looks well placed to kick on in the second half of the campaign.

Danny Ings

Liverpool suffered a devastating blow when the former Burnley striker was ruled out of the rest of the season after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in mid-October.

At the time Ings was in the form of his life. He had not only established himself in the Liverpool side, he had also been rewarded with a full England debut against Lithuania.

Stuck on the bench in the early weeks of the season, Ings made an instant impact after coming off the bench against Norwich when he netted in front of the Kop.

When he marked his first taste of the Merseyside derby with the opening goal at Goodison, he had scored three in five starts for the Reds with a further three substitute appearances.

The 23-year-old frontman looked a perfect fit for Klopp with his unwavering commitment and burning desire to chase lost causes.

However, during his first training session with the German coach Ings pulled up and a scan delivered the crushing news that his season was over. He has been sorely missed.

A tribunal will decide next month how much Liverpool must pay Burnley for Ings. The Reds value him at around £6million but the Clarets want around double that figure.