It’s easy to look at Liverpool and say the answer is “more quality” or “fresh legs”. Truth is, it doesn’t feel like a numbers problem at all. It feels like we’ve lost our idea of a best XI, the back five have dipped at the same time, and too many moving parts have landed in one go.
The fan view I keep coming back to is simple: when the base of the side is confident, the rest of it breathes. When the base is shaky, everything goes a yard safe. Sideways. Slower. A bit negative, because nobody wants to be the one who gets us ripped open in transition.
Upgrades on paper, but the blend is brutal
If you believe the changes listed, the forward line has been “upgraded” with new names coming in for the likes of Jota, Nunez and Diaz. Whether you agree with that or not, the point stands: big attacking changes can be exciting, but they also change how the whole team attacks and defends.
There’s also a set of changes around the squad, including full-back and goalkeeper depth. That’s a lot of new relationships being built at once. Full-backs need trust with centre-backs. Keepers need rhythm with the line. Forwards need patterns and timing. You don’t just drop that into place and fly.
The real issue is the drop in the defensive base
The strongest part of the argument is that the drop-off is coming from the “core” rather than the newer faces. If the back line is slower to step up, if the centre-backs aren’t dominant, if the keeper isn’t looking like a wall, you see it instantly in the way the whole side plays.
And it isn’t only defenders. When the spine players lose form together, it spreads. Midfielders start protecting space instead of hunting it. Wide players start receiving to feet rather than running behind. Even the best attackers look blunt if the team’s scared of losing the ball.
Go back to a proper rearguard
The proposed fix is one I can understand: rebuild the platform first. Two at the base, close to the centre-backs, so we stop looking open whenever we lose it. That can mean a more obvious double pivot, with Endo involved, allowing others to play with a bit more freedom.
In that picture, you’ve got a solid screen, protection for the full-backs, and then the attacking six can actually attack: Szoboszlai and Wirtz working higher, full-backs adding crosses and pressure, and two forwards to hit the box. It’s not glamorous, but it’s the sort of tweak that can get the confidence back into the team’s foundations.
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