It’s hard to believe that just 12 months ago, Liverpool FC were crowned Premier League champions. Fast forward, and they are an absolute dumpster fire, having what is widely considered the worst title defense in Premier League history.
I can’t count the number of issues running through this team, so why not make myself miserable and go through them all?
Arne Slot
Arne Slot won the Premier League in his debut season, which rarely happens. When people said he was handed the keys to the castle with Jurgen Klopp’s squad, I defended him. I no longer have the will to do so.
When the time came to rebuild this squad and put his own imprint on it, he has gotten almost everything wrong. You can’t even argue he wasn’t backed—owners FSG, for all their faults, gave him close to £400 million to rebuild.
He brought in attacking stars like Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, but it’s unclear what the actual plan was.
The squad constantly looks confused by the tactics. The press is disjointed, the balance is off, and they are devoid of attacking output. A slow, possession-based approach is fine—but not if there’s no plan to break down a low block. Right now, it’s just passing for the sake of it.
It’s not all on Slot, but what’s more likely: a squad full of talent suddenly losing all confidence, or a manager failing to provide a clear system?
Defense
The defense has been chaotic all year—arguably the most disorganized it’s looked since Virgil van Dijk arrived.
At right-back, replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold with Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong looked promising on paper. But injuries forced midfielders like Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai to fill in, preventing any consistency.
At left-back, Milos Kerkez started terribly—bombing forward and leaving VVD exposed, while also being a defensive liability. To his credit, he’s improved and is probably Liverpool’s most in-form defender (a low bar). Andy Robertson has shown flashes of his old self, but his legs no longer allow him to perform consistently at this level.
Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate have been the biggest disappointments. Konaté has been error-prone all season—you can feel a mistake coming even in his better performances. Whether it’s inconsistency or distractions like interest from Real Madrid, his level has dropped.
Van Dijk hasn’t been terrible, but by his standards, it’s been a poor year. Early on, he was constantly exposed by Kerkez. While they’ve developed some chemistry, he now looks short on confidence.
With injuries (including Giovanni Leoni’s ACL tear) and a failed move for Marc Guehi, VVD and Konaté have been overworked, and it’s clearly taken a toll.
Alisson and Mamardashvili have been fine overall—some mistakes, but far from the main issue.
Midfield
Liverpool’s midfield can be summed up by the famous Gattuso quote: sometimes maybe good, sometimes maybe shit.
Dominik Szoboszlai has been Player of the Year. A true workhorse, he’s filled in everywhere—RB, 8, 10, even RW—and consistently delivers effort, control, and set-piece contributions. It’s scary to imagine where Liverpool would be without him.
Ryan Gravenberch hasn’t matched last season’s level, but that’s largely due to overuse. Slot doesn’t trust anyone else in the 6, and it shows—he looks exhausted. Letting Tyler Morton leave for Lyon, where he’s thriving, makes this even worse.
Alexis Mac Allister hasn’t produced goals or assists, and his aggressive style hasn’t clicked this year. This feels more like a system issue than an individual one.
Curtis Jones, Trey Nyoni, and Wataru Endo (pre-injury) have barely featured. When they do, they show they can contribute. The lack of rotation is unacceptable.
Attack
And here we go—the attack has been a disgrace.
Liverpool have gone from Klopp’s “heavy metal” football to something slow, predictable, and lifeless.
Isak gets a pass due to injury. Chiesa gets a pass because Slot simply doesn’t seem to rate him.
On the positive side, Hugo Ekitike has been excellent—great movement, pressing, link-up play, and finishing. His recent dip feels more like a lack of service than a drop in ability.
Florian Wirtz has improved significantly after a slow start. He’s among the leaders in chances created across competitions, but the finishing around him has been poor. He wants to play quickly, which clashes with Slot’s slower system.
16-year-old Rio Ngumoha looks electric every time he plays. It’s baffling he isn’t used more—he’s
one of the few players bringing energy and unpredictability.
Now the bad:
Cody Gakpo has offered very little. His game feels predictable—cut inside and shoot—and he’s not contributing in other areas. It’s hard to justify his consistent starts.
And finally, the really bad: Mohamed Salah.
I’ll always defend Salah, but this year is indefensible. Father Time has caught up. The pace is gone, and with it, his biggest weapon. He’s still capable creatively, but the goals have dried up.
He’s a Liverpool legend and deserves respect, but it feels like the right time for both sides to move on.
What This Means Going Forward
The second leg against Paris Saint-Germain is Liverpool’s last chance to salvage any dignity this season. Simply qualifying for the Champions League is not enough for a club of this size.
Regardless of how the season ends, Slot has to go.
There’s still a strong foundation: a new young CB arriving, a solid midfield core, and exciting attacking talent. The right manager with a clear system could transform this team quickly.
As bad as this season has been, there is still reason for optimism—just not if Slot is leading the team into 2026–27.
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