There’s a modern obsession with “depth” that can get a bit carried away, especially when it’s used like a trump card in every squad debate. Having a decent bench helps, of course it does. But it doesn’t automatically make you a better squad than a team built around proper, title-winning greatness.

I’m with the view that 11 absolute top-class players can carry you a long way, even if the drop-off after that is steep. Liverpool’s best sides weren’t just strong on paper. They were relentless, week after week, and they proved it with trophies and standards that didn’t wobble when the weather turned or the pitches were heavy.

Legends aren’t just names on a squad list

The frustration comes when people try to stack today’s squad list up against the golden-era lads and claim it’s better because there are more “good players” dotted around it. That’s not how it works. Great teams are defined by what they win and how they win it, not by how comfortable the sixth-choice forward looks in a training clip.

And it’s worth saying: judging the current group like they’re already finished products is risky. A few of them have had only one genuinely strong season at this level. Others still have everything to prove across a full Liverpool career, with the pressure, the rhythm of title races, and the expectation that every draw is treated like a disaster.

Age, drop-off and the reality of cycles

Every great side hits a point where pillars start to fade or move on. That doesn’t mean you write them off, but it does mean you stop pretending the squad is permanently at its peak. If you believe some of the senior stars have dipped this season and that time is catching up, then it’s fair to be wary about declaring this era “better” than a team of serial winners.

And with younger players, potential is exactly that: potential. You can see why fans get excited, but “could be special” isn’t the same as being the one you trust when you’ve got two matches left and everything’s on the line.

The subs argument is the wrong way round

The other part of this debate that never sits right is using the old substitution limits as evidence that modern squad depth is more important. If you can only make one or two changes, the bench physically affects fewer minutes. That reduces the impact of depth, not increases it.

Back then, players were expected to take it and keep going. There was less rotation, fewer chances to manage minutes, and the game was a proper scrap at times. So if we’re talking about “depth” across eras, it’s not as simple as counting how many decent options you can list. The truth is, the great Liverpool sides set a bar that plenty of good squads never get near.

Written by chewysuarez7: 16 January 2026

Tags: efl squad