Liverpool’s Squad Depth Questions Won’t Go Away

For years, Liverpool were built around a core that could win you matches and a supporting cast that could keep the level high when rotation was needed. That’s why the nagging worry right now isn’t just “are the starters good enough?” It’s whether the overall quality, especially in depth, has slipped compared to both our own best versions and the clubs we’re trying to keep pace with.

And to be fair, football has changed. It’s been a proper squad game for a while now, so judging eras isn’t neat. But it’s still hard to shake the feeling that the drop-off from the top line of the past to the options today is bigger than it used to be.

Up front: standards set by the old lot

When you think of Liverpool forward lines in the modern era, the names almost roll off the tongue: Mane, Salah, Firmino. Before them, Suarez with Sterling and Sturridge, and Coutinho feeding it all. That level of threat, speed, imagination and ruthlessness is a brutal benchmark.

The concern here is that current options don’t yet feel in that bracket. The point about Salah losing a yard is a fair one, even if his game has evolved over time. Then you’ve got the frustration of new faces needing time, because “hasn’t shown it here yet” is exactly how it feels when you’re waiting for it to click. In your view, only Ekitike has hit something like the level you’d want, and you’d even argue last season’s forward options were stronger overall.

Midfield and defence: the thin bits start to show

There’s a decent base in midfield, but it’s what sits behind the first choices that makes you uneasy. That’s usually where title races tilt: legs go, knocks happen, form wobbles, and suddenly it’s not about your best three, it’s about your seventh and eighth options not sinking you.

At centre-back, the argument is pretty straightforward. Van Dijk can still be top class, but he can’t cover everything on his own, and he’s not getting any younger. If you’re leaning heavily on Gomez as the main safety net, you’re living on the edge. Add in the wider point about Konate and Gomez having patchy injury records over the years and it’s obvious why you see centre-back depth as the glaring need.

Recruitment: drifting away from the old template?

The bigger question you’re really asking is about direction. Liverpool’s best recruitment spells often came from smart, well-fitted signings rather than headline-chasing. The worry is we’ve moved away from that £30-70m “lesser known but perfect for us” lane.

You’re not dismissing big talents, either. You even say Wirtz will be a great player. It’s more about priorities: was that the area that most needed the resources? Same with Isak, given the injury concern you mention and the fact you feel we’d already addressed the position by bringing in Ekitike.

And at the back, you’re blunt: selling Quansah without bringing in a centre-half feels negligent, and leaving it late only amplifies it. The Zubimendi point fits the theme too. If an opportunity presents itself and the squad still has a clear gap, why not go back in?

None of this guarantees failure, obviously. But it does leave a lot of Liverpool fans with the same uncomfortable thought: are we building a squad that can actually go the distance, or just a team that looks fine until the calendar turns nasty?

Written by long term view: 16 January 2026