Liverpool’s squad feels lighter than it should

We all do this every summer, don’t we. We look at the shiny new signings, imagine the “level” going up, and assume the squad will carry itself through the rough patches. But when you actually revisit what Liverpool had in a title-winning group and what we’ve got now, the truth is it feels lighter.

Not necessarily worse in every position. Just lighter. Less cushion. Less reliability. And in a season where you need bodies as much as you need brilliance, that matters.

What you lose matters as much as what you buy

There’s a reason supporters keep bringing up the exits rather than the arrivals. You can talk yourself into upgrades on paper, but football isn’t played on paper. It’s played in February away grounds with tired legs, in cup ties where you need a calm head, and in weeks where you’re holding things together with tape.

Kelleher is a good example. A top back-up keeper isn’t glamorous, but it’s massive for confidence when rotation is forced on you. If you’ve watched Liverpool over the years, you know how much the back line feeds off trust. Lose that, and everything gets a bit jumpy.

Then there’s Trent Alexander-Arnold. Love him or loathe him, he’s a rare footballer. A right-back who changes the way you can build attacks, who sees passes others don’t. If your right-back options are spending half the season in the treatment room, you’re not just missing a player, you’re missing a whole idea.

Availability is a skill, and depth is a safety net

Depth isn’t just about having “names”. It’s about having players you can actually rely on being available. Quansah, for instance, had Premier League experience and was there when needed. If the replacement is injured, you’ve created a problem rather than solved one.

Up top and out wide, it’s similar. Jota is one of those players where you don’t need to do the sales pitch. And even if you had frustrations with Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz at times, you still lose options and different profiles. If your left wing is suddenly light, or you’re depending on one player staying fit, you feel that over a long season.

And it’s not just the starters. Having squad lads like Elliott and Morton around matters. Sometimes it’s simply the ability to change a game or get through a run of fixtures without flogging the same eleven.

Backing the manager isn’t just a summer slogan

This is where the frustration lands: it sounds like Arne Slot wanted more help and didn’t get it. If you’re saying “we’ll back him properly later”, then you’re effectively asking him to navigate the present with less than he’d like. January is never easy, but that doesn’t make standing still any less of a choice.

You also hear calls for Slot to “speak out”. But we’ve seen how that goes for managers elsewhere. Sometimes you toe the line because you have to, not because you’re thrilled. If the squad feels short now, it’s on the club to make sure it doesn’t become the story of the season.

Written by JonnyNo6: 27 January 2026