People saying a new manager wouldn’t improve us just doesn’t add up to me. You can debate how much change helps, and you can argue about timing, but the idea that Liverpool would stay exactly the same? Nah. Not with the players we’ve got.

That’s the bit that really grates. We’re not talking about a threadbare group needing a full rebuild from the studs. There’s quality in the squad, there’s experience, and there are match-winners. And yet it still feels like we’ve been making life harder than it needs to be, like the players are doing the heavy lifting while the set-up is getting in the way.

Fourth place doesn’t tell the whole story

Even if you look at the table and say, “well, we finished fourth,” it doesn’t automatically mean the work has been well managed. Sometimes a good group will carry you through spells on sheer talent and momentum. That’s what it’s felt like at times.

Because when you list the games we should be handling comfortably, it’s hard not to feel we’ve left a stack of points out there. Leeds home and away. United at home. Sunderland at home. Forest at home. Brentford. Chelsea. It’s not about being arrogant, it’s about standards. Liverpool should be turning a big chunk of those fixtures into routine wins, not making each one feel like an uphill battle.

Too much relies on a moment

What frustrates me is how familiar the pattern has been: if the structure isn’t clicking, we’re basically waiting for someone to do something special. Often it’s Salah, because he’s that level of player. But leaning on that week after week isn’t a plan, it’s a rescue act.

I keep thinking back to that season under Rodgers when we went close. It was thrilling, but if we’re being honest it was Suarez producing madness on a regular basis that dragged us into the conversation. You can enjoy it and still recognise what’s happening. There’s a difference between being well-coached and being carried.

What “good management” would actually look like

For me, a better manager doesn’t mean turning every game into a procession. Football doesn’t work like that. It means more control in the matches we should control, clearer ideas off the ball, and fewer afternoons where the only route to goal is a bit of individual brilliance.

So yeah, I’m not having the “it wouldn’t change anything” line. With a strong squad, coaching details matter. And right now it feels like those details are exactly what we’re missing.

Written by grino75: 10 January 2026

Tags: efl tactics