No Mid-Season Panic, Just Proper Evaluation

I’ve never been a fan of changing managers mid-season unless you’re properly in the red. Not “we’ve had a few bad results” red. Actual crisis red. Because once you pull that lever, it screams desperation, and desperation rarely builds a title-winning side.

The other thing is, league tables can be a bit of a liar until the fixtures have evened out. You can look up and down it all you like, but until you’ve played everyone home and away you don’t really know where you stand in a true sense. Form swings, fixture runs, injuries, European weeks, the lot. That’s not an excuse. It’s just football.

Playing poorly isn’t the same as being in crisis

For me, “crisis” has a clear definition: you’re out of the Champions League and you’re mathematically unable to qualify for next season. That’s when you start talking about emergency measures and drastic action. Until then, it’s a performance issue, a coaching issue, a squad issue, or a mix of all three, but it’s still something you can analyse without setting fire to the place.

And that’s why I’d rather Liverpool take a breath, get to the end of the season, and then judge everything with a full body of work. Not just the head coach, but the whole operation. Director of football decisions, the coaching staff as a unit, the scouting, recruitment, player development, and then the players themselves.

Some big names look like they’re running out of road

Right now, it feels like too many key lads are either past their best or battling through a dip that’s lasting longer than we’d like. I’m looking at it and thinking: Salah looks finished, Virgil looks finished, and Robbo looks finished. Mac Allister hasn’t hit the level we need. Gravenberch and Bradley look under pressure, and Konate is gone.

That’s a lot to carry at once, especially when you’re trying to keep standards high and compete on multiple fronts. There’s only so much any set-up can patch over when the spine starts wobbling.

If turnover is coming, the next manager has to be built for it

If the squad is heading for depletion and change, then the next manager can’t be someone who needs three windows just to settle on an XI. You need a fella who’s comfortable with churn, who can coach a structure quickly, and who can keep the group moving even when faces change.

That’s why Iraola stands out to me. He’s shown he can handle turnover in the Premier League and keep a side functioning. And if Liverpool are about to enter a period where decisions are made across the board, that ability matters as much as any tactical buzzwords.

Written by Ron Keague: 26 January 2026