Henry Jackson is the author of This Is Anfield.
It has been a perfect storm of problems, leading to an unexpected decline. Liverpool played all 63 potential games during the previous season but failed to win either of the major trophies. I believe there has been a mental and bodily hangover as a result of that.
After such a grueling struggle, regaining their footing and resuming operations has proven incredibly tough. Individuals have struggled for form in the interim. Trent Alexander-difficulties Arnold’s have received the most attention, but Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, and Mohamed Salah have also been subpar. Darwin Nez has also struggled since his £85 million transfer from Benfica.
The system as a whole has failed, with the midfield providing insufficient support for the defense and the team’s lack of intensity necessitating the signing of a top-tier midfielder; confidence has also vanished.
Even if they do not win the title or even finish in the top two this season, Liverpool will improve. However, it will take time for them to regain their swashbuckling form, and new legs will be necessary for January and the summer of next year.
The editor of Liverpool Way is David Usher.
Liverpool’s early-season difficulties can be attributed to several causes. First, an abbreviated preseason immediately following a grueling season. Then there is the possibility that a handful of players will experience an emotional hangover after coming so close to winning both the Premier League and the Champions League but ultimately falling short.
A midfield injury problem has not helped matters, as there has been an obvious lack of effort and lethargy. Jürgen Klopp’s tactical adjustments to the approach have also failed, with Alexander-Arnold frequently playing too much inside and Salah too wide. The opposition appears to have figured us out, and we have become easy to defeat. Trent has been targeted, and although some criticism of him is warranted, the larger issue is that the team’s defense has been subpar, leaving him vulnerable.
This was recognized by Klopp, who implemented a new defensive system and made improvements to the team’s defensive tactics. Against Rangers, there were positive indicators, but they were hardly formidable opponents. Greater testing is forthcoming.
If Liverpool can win their next two league games against Arsenal and Manchester City and begin to resemble their former selves, they can re-enter the title race. At present, this appears to be the longest of long shots. Currently, reaching the top four is the primary objective.
Rob Gutmann is the author and host of the Anfield Wrap.
It is difficult to comprehend how, in the span of four months, a team that was considered in May as potentially the best in Liverpool’s history has become unrecognizably subpar.
Unlike when the team deteriorated in 2020-21, there are minimal mitigating factors, such as a defensive injury crisis or the pandemic-induced pandemonium, following the championship win. Fans are rushing for excuses, including the need for midfield reinforcements, weariness, and alterations to the attacking line, but none are satisfactory. As difficult as it is to comprehend the causes of the decline, so too are the potential answers.
No one is more reluctant to claim that they are aware of what has to be corrected than our great manager. His talent compels us to maintain faith. The increasingly desperate hope is that this is merely a blip, although an unsettlingly prolonged one, and that once it clicks again, it will remain clicked.
The question is if Liverpool can recuperate in time to reenter the title race. You will not find a supporter who currently believes this with any conviction.
Andrew Beasley, independent football journalist
Currently, Liverpool supporters have many questions for the players, the manager, and the owners. The most essential question is why the team is not running through a brick wall after brick wall like they did last season.
Possibly because sprinting through a brick wall is exhausting, discouraging, and unpleasant. Similar to a 63-game quadruple bid in which the two largest jackpots are lost by razor-thin margins. The Reds have also historically experienced a hangover after finishing second in the Premier League. This did not transpire in 2019-2020, but it was a magnificent exception. The current situation is, sadly, the norm.
Liverpool is not a poor club, but they are unable to compete financially with their major rivals. With high defensive lines and right-backs who play in the attacking half gaps, they take risks to close the gap. What we are observing is what occurs when things are slightly awry. A largely impregnable system becomes vulnerable if one player fails to press at the appropriate time or is beaten to the ball by an agile attacker.
It is not much wrong, but it may be too late to remedy the faults in time to reenter the championship race.
Kevin Sampson, writer, and filmmaker
A component of me finds the hysteria of a portion of our fanbase pretty amusing — this magnificent, self-righteous tantrum that declares, “We must be up three goals before halftime or heads will tumble.” Sure, after smashing Manchester City in the Community Shield, it was puzzling that we were so lackluster in the season opener against Fulham, and it’s mildly alarming that we’ve appeared a bit lethargic in so many games.
Keep in mind, though, that we participated in every minute of every game we might have played last season. That’s a lot of arduous miles covered by a lot of legs. Over the past few years, we have made victory look too effortless; the world has grown to expect weekly resounding victories. This season, though, the Premier League is significantly more competitive. Manchester City has conceded goals to Crystal Palace and Newcastle, as well as three against the hapless Manchester United.
Liverpool has yet to find line and length, but Klopp presumably knows a bit more about football than we do, and there’s a very good chance he’ll fix things, beginning with Sunday’s match against Arsenal.
