Control Without Threat Isn’t Enough

Struggling against nine men, honestly, I can live with. When a side is low on confidence you can see the panic spread, passes get snatched at, lads start hiding, and what should be straightforward turns into a bit of a mess.

The part that sticks in the throat is what we look like before any of that. Eleven v eleven, first half, when it’s supposed to be about setting your stall out and imposing yourself. That’s where the worries start. Not because everything has to be chaos and end-to-end, but because there’s a difference between control and caution, and we’re flirting with the wrong one.

The real concern is the lack of threat

There’s a flatness to it. Not enough energy, not enough movement, and not enough appetite to play forward early. You can watch us recycle the ball, tidy enough on the eye in isolation, but it rarely feels like we’re constantly asking questions.

Tempo matters. The best Liverpool sides, even on average days, still carried a sense of momentum. Quick combinations, runners from deep, someone taking a risk to break a line. When that’s missing, you end up circulating possession in areas that don’t actually scare anyone.

Possession as protection

At times it feels like the plan is to have the ball mainly so the other team can’t. Keep it in safe zones, limit transitions, and trust we’ll nick a goal from the three or four decent moments we create. In theory, that can win you plenty of games. In practice, it can also look ultra defensive and, yes, pretty boring.

There’s nothing wrong with being pragmatic. Liverpool fans aren’t allergic to graft or structure. But if you’re going to play risk-averse football, it has to come with relentless winning, because you’re not getting carried by the spectacle.

Where does Endo fit in all this?

It’s hard not to notice how Endo seems to be on the outside of it. If Arne Slot’s idea is maximum control through certain profiles in midfield, then maybe Endo just doesn’t fit what he wants in that role. Fair enough, managers pick systems, not popularity contests.

But it also raises a bigger point: what’s the identity here? If it’s control, it needs to become control with purpose. If it’s safety first, then the margin for error is tiny.

Truth is, fans will accept drab football if it keeps stacking up points. But if the football is drab and the results wobble, people will turn quickly, because no one wants to watch an extra dose of caution and get nothing back for it.

Written by Davey Sulls: 22 December 2025