Graeme Souness thinks Liverpool’s defensive performances in their first three competitive matches of the season have been “hopeless”.

The Reds have conceded four goals in three matches as they lost the Community Shield final on penalties to Manchester City, beat Norwich 4-1 in the Premier League and won the UEFA Super Cup against Chelsea on penalties.

And it was Jurgen Klopp’s side’s defensive display against Chelsea that Souness really tore into, describing it as “all over the place”.

“Liverpool have been sloppy throughout the game and it can only be to do with them being so tired,” Souness told Virgin Media Sport Ireland.

“They were spot on with their holding a line and dropping off last year throughout the season and in the European football they played.

“Tonight, and in the two games they played already this season, the game against [Manchester] City at Wembley and against Norwich, in terms of holding a line, when you should hold it and when you should drop off, they’ve been hopeless in these three games.

“And tonight, this is the worst I’ve seen this Liverpool team defend since Jurgen Klopp has been there. They were all over the place. And it can only be tiredness because they were doing it right nearly ten times out of ten last year.

“One of the biggest problems they’ve had in the three games I’ve seen them play, in the first half against City [they] were getting in behind, Norwich were getting in behind.

“When you’re asking your team to play the high line, when they’re not quite fit they will cheat a bit, they’ll take the easy option, stand there and try to play offside. When they are all bang at it, fully fit, they’ll get it right.

“This Liverpool team got that right nearly all of the time last year, defensively they were brilliant, organisation was brilliant.

“When you’re asking your team to play the high line, when they’re not quite fit they will cheat a bit, they’ll take the easy option, stand there and try to play offside. When they are all bang at it, fully fit, they’ll get it right.

“This Liverpool team got that right nearly all of the time last year, defensively they were brilliant, organisation was brilliant.”