The summer was meant to feel like a turning of the page, and in terms of attacking names it did. Proper excitement, the kind that makes you think back to eras where Liverpool didn’t just add bodies, they added game-changers.
But there’s a difference between a big window on paper and a squad that actually looks stronger week to week. At the moment, it’s hard to shake the feeling that we’ve taken a step back. Not forever, maybe not even for long. Just right now.
When the “new lads” don’t fly out the blocks
The comparison to the Barnes, Beardsley and Aldridge era is a fair one in terms of intent. That was Liverpool bringing in serious attacking quality and expecting it to translate immediately. The key bit is that they hit the ground running. No long bedding-in period, no “give it six months” patience test. They made the team better quickly.
This time around, the feeling is different. If the new attacking options aren’t in form or aren’t fully settled, everything gets a bit sticky. And it can’t all just be pinned on Arne Slot. Even the best coach in the world can’t conjure sharpness out of thin air if the cohesion isn’t there yet.
The 80s had stars, but it also had proper cover
People remember the glamour bits from the 80s, understandably. Dalglish and Rush playing nearly every match, because they were that good and that dependable. They picked themselves.
But there was also a point about squad building that sometimes gets missed. Liverpool had back-ups who knew their job, were trusted to start when needed, and were good enough to keep standards from falling off a cliff. David Hodgson, Michael Robinson and Paul Walsh weren’t bought to be the first names on the teamsheet, but they gave you something solid when rotation or injuries forced your hand.
Availability and form is the real worry
Look at the forward options being talked about: Salah, Isak, Ekitike, Wirtz, Gakpo, Chiesa, Ngumoha, Danns. Then ask a simple question: how many of them are actually available to start the next match and looking sharp? If the answer is “not enough”, the rest of the squad feels it.
And it doesn’t stop with the front line. Take one out of midfield and you start asking the same. Take one out of the centre-backs, or either full-back, and suddenly it’s not about ideal plans, it’s about making do.
That’s why the window can be huge and exciting, yet the side can still look weaker than last season. For now, at least. The hope is the new lads click and the squad steadies. Until then, it’s hard not to be a bit uneasy.
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