Liverpool

Liverpool's disappointing FA Cup draw sets them up for a hellish January

Published Jan. 8, 2017 1:02 p.m. ET

Ryan Rosenblatt

Liverpool couldn't score a single goal on Plymouth Argyle. That's second place in the Premier League Liverpool against League Two Plymouth Argyle. And at Anfield to boot.

To say that the Reds were disappointed with their 0-0 draw in Sunday's FA Cup action would be a massive understatement. Jurgen Klopp didn't hide it after the match and his list of what went wrong seemingly never ended.

Now, Liverpool have what is seemingly the worst thing the FA Cup can give you: a replay.

No team wants to have to play extra matches. They already have 38 Premier League matches plus two domestic cups. They don't need one of them -- the FA Cup -- forcing them into even more, especially in January when players are still tired from the congested holiday fixtures. But a replay is just what Liverpool have after their draw with Plymouth Argyle, and the replay will be away.

Liverpool's upcoming fixture list now looks like this:

And if that doesn't look hellish enough, remember that they are coming off a stretch in which they played four matches in 13 days. So they're tired before that run of (potentially) eight matches in less than a month.

All of a sudden, failing to beat Plymouth Argyle is hardly Liverpool's biggest problem. It's the replay, and the potential fourth round match, and all of the other matches they have coming up.

Liverpool may be second in the Premier League right now, but it's hard to imagine them still being there by early February. All they can really hope for is that they can stay within striking distance so they still have a shot in the last couple months of the season. If they can manage that, and book a spot in the League Cup final, they'll be thrilled. But even that is asking a lot. This next month is going to be rough.

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