Patience needed as Liverpool’s pecking order shifts

The loudest arguments around Liverpool right now aren’t even about shape or pressing triggers. They’re about who we rate, who we’ve already decided isn’t good enough, and how quickly we’re willing to write players off.

Endo and Mac Allister are the obvious examples. You can barely mention either without someone jumping in with “move them on”. Gravenberch’s the mad one, though. He took plenty of stick until Arne Slot got him purring, and even now you still hear a few saying they’d happily cash in. That’s just where the mood is for some supporters: if you’re not flying every week, you’re disposable.

Recruitment chat is never as simple as hit or miss

The take on Schmadtke is pretty blunt here: if only Szoboszlai really landed, then the success rate isn’t great. Fair enough. Fans judge what they see on the pitch, not job titles or nice-sounding plans.

But squad building is also about timing and need. If you lose quality in key areas and the forward line needs freshening up, you don’t get to sit on your hands. You have to act, even if it means taking a couple of swings.

Why the forward line refresh matters

The point about needing attackers is straightforward. If you’re losing centre-forwards and you’ve also been relying on a wide player doing false nine work, you end up in that awkward place where the roles don’t quite fit the players you’ve got.

That’s why the excitement around names like Isak and Ekitike, and the idea of Wirtz as the creative heartbeat, makes sense in a supporter’s head. It’s not just “shiny new toy” stuff. It’s a feeling of the team being rebalanced, with more ways to hurt teams when the game gets scruffy.

The new lads don’t just need to perform, they need to lead

Kerkez being described as the best left-back in the league last season is strong, but the wider point stands: youth plus quality is the sweet spot, especially when you’re trying to refresh without ripping the whole thing up.

Same on the right. Bradley feels like a natural successor type, if he can get a clear run at it fitness-wise, and having someone like Frimpong able to cover the whole side would change the options in-game.

The bigger issue, though, isn’t full-backs. It’s status. This still feels like Virgil, Robbo and Salah’s dressing room, because they’ve been the faces of it. If the club wants the next version of Liverpool, then players like Wirtz and Isak can’t just be good signings. They have to take the keys. That’s where friction can creep in, and you can already sense it around Salah at times.

It won’t be instant. Rebuilds never are. But if the ambition stays consistent, you can see a team forming that’s in far better shape than the panic merchants want to admit.

Written by Sean Dundee: 23 January 2026