Liverpool have been a powerhouse in English football for the past 8 years. For many a year, the Premier League title was between them and Manchester City. It was Jurgen Klopp vs. Pep Gaurdiola. It seemed that nothing would stop them from competing for the title. That all changed, it could be said, when Jurgen Klopp left Liverpool.
He was replaced by Arne Slot and he was immediately expected to win everything possible. That expectation was sort of met when they won the league but failed in everything else; even losing the Carabao (League) Cup final to Newcastle United.
Despite that failure, winning the League was more than enough to satisfy the fans and owners. As a result, everything seemed to be rosy and a bright future looked certain.
As a result of the success, they spent big in the summer. Notable signings include: Alexander Isak; Giovanni Leoni; Hugo Ekitike; Giorgi Mamardashvili; Florian Wirtz; Milos Kerkez & Jeremie Frimpong. They spent around £450 million on the aforementioned signings.
Unfortunately, there was a tragic loss in the summer. Fellow player, Diogo Jota, passed away in a car accident that also took away his brother, Andre Silva.
Everyone was excited for the season regardless. It didn't start well as they lost the Community Shield to Crystal Palace. Despite that loss, they started perfectly. They won their first five league games and remained perfect.
That all changed when they faced their familiar foes, Crystal Palace. They lost 2-1. This sent them down a downward spiral. They would follow that loss with consecutive losses to Turkish club, Galatasaray in the Champions League; Chelsea; to their arch-rivals, Manchester United and Brentford. It was also compounded by another loss to Crystal Palace, this time in the Carabao Cup.
Normality was briefly restored by beating Aston Villa and Real Madrid. Reality set in again this past Sunday when they lost 3-0 to their title rivals, Manchester City. They now lie 8th on the Premier League table.
As a result of their troubling form, everything is being dissected and criticised.
The tactical problem behind the signings, it would appear, comes not from how Liverpool has changed its forward line but how it has replaced defenders, Trent Alexander-Arnold – who left for Real Madrid – and Andy Robertson, who remains at the club but is now 31 and no longer first choice.
To explain it in NFL terms – where Alexander-Arnold was essentially a quarterback, playing passes forward from deep, his replacement, Jeremie Frimpong, is more of a wide receiver, looking to get on the end of passes much higher up the field.
"I would probably say that Liverpool have got the summer wrong, to be honest," football tactics writer, Josh Williams, said.
“You’ve got so many players in there now, specifically bought from the summer, who have clashing interests,” he adds. "It’s kind of like a team of forwards at the moment. And it sounds good and looks good on paper, but then in practical reality, you start craving the balance. And Liverpool haven’t got the balance."
On top of that imbalance, the Reds seem to have been caught out by a significant shift in game plan from many of the league’s other managers. In signing players like Wirtz, Liverpool doubled down on shorter, more intricate passing. Elsewhere, other teams are now far more reliant on set pieces and long balls.
"We spent a lot of last season watching this trend towards more physical football in the Premier League, and Liverpool managed to deal with it, rise above it and win the league," Neil Atkinson, host and CEO of The Anfield Wrap, said. "But for me, it was only ever going one way."
The effectiveness of a direct style of play against Liverpool is not lost on Slot, who admitted after the defeat to Brentford that he hadn't yet worked out a way to combat it. "Teams have a certain playing style against us, which is a very good strategy to play, and we haven’t found an answer yet," he told reporters.
The elephant in the room, of course, is the tragic death of Diogo Jota. The former Liverpool player died in a car accident along with his brother, André Silva, in July.
"It was always going to be a difficult season. I’ve mentioned it from the very start already," Liverpool captain, Virgil van Dijk, told reporters in early October. "So we have to go over this, we have to go through this, as one."
Liverpool fans’ song for the Portuguese forward can still be heard in the 20th minute of every game – to mark the shirt number Jota wore.
When it was sung after the Reds’ opening night win over Bournemouth, Mohamed Salah – who had spoken of his fear at returning from the summer break without Jota – appeared to be holding back tears as he clapped along to the chant.
The Egyptian, who finished last season as the Premier League’s top goalscorer and top assist maker, has struggled on the pitch this season and had to wait until the defeat at Brentford for his first non-penalty goal in the league.
It is an uncomfortable conversation to have, but Jota’s death has also impacted Liverpool in a far more mundane way – the Portuguese forward was an excellent player with an instinctive eye for goal.
"You can point at the tragic death of Diogo Jota and that is undoubtedly a factor in a number of ways here," says Atkinson. "It’s also a factor in why Liverpool may well be an attacker down."
In the wake of Jota’s death, Slot spoke of his desire for his players to take inspiration from the forward’s attitude on the field. "We are in a very difficult time, so let’s try to do what Diogo did so many times," he wrote. "If it’s so difficult then try a little bit harder or just keep on going and try to make it work."
Speaking to a Liverpool fan, he expressed a few concerns. The first is the defence. According to him, not signing Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace was a big mistake. Ibrahima Konate has been rubbish amid a possible exit next summer. Virgil van Dijk hasn't been himself. The two centre-backs aren't in sync.
I've also noticed that van Dijk and Milos Kerkez don't get along well. It's bad when defenders aren't connected into a unison mindset.
On the forwards, the fan doesn't understand why they signed two strikers in the same window. It creates a divide and insecurity. Slot won't play both Isak and Ekitike. Either the one or the other will play.
I believe that buying Isak wasn't necessary. Buying Ekitike was enough. This is based on current performances and price tag.
The next concern that was brought up was Mohamed Salah. He believes that too much respect is put on him. It's because of this that he's never dropped.
I tend to agree with that. Salah has pretty hasn't done anything really significant. There are times when I see him continue to be on the field and I'm baffled. It'll be interesting to see how Liverpool perform while Salah is away with Egypt at AFCON (African Cup of Nations).
The final aspect brought up was the no. 10 position. He claims that the club hasn't adquately filled the void left by Philippe Coutinho. Consequently, the team is unbalanced and the new signings, particulary Wirtz, hasn't helped the issues at hand.
I believe that I have no right to offer a conclusion because I will be extremely biased (I'm a Man Utd supporter). All I can say is that I hope this form continues and that Liverpool sink deeper and deeper.