There’s a strange kind of emptiness that comes with winning while feeling like you’re getting away with it. Points are points, of course they are, but right now they’re landing with a dull thud. The football itself is draining the life out of the whole thing, to the point where the build-up to a match doesn’t feel like excitement, it feels like obligation.

That’s the bit that should worry everyone, not just the odd sloppy half or a scrappy result. When you stop looking forward to Liverpool playing, something has gone badly wrong. Results can hide plenty for a while, but they can’t hide how it feels to sit through 90 minutes and come away with nothing to take with you.

When results paper over the cracks

I get the comparison to last season. There were stretches where we weren’t exactly purring but still found ways to win. You can live with that if you can see a plan underneath it, if the basics are sound and the team looks like it’s building towards something.

The frustration here is that it doesn’t feel like that. It feels like we’re getting through games rather than playing them. Tempo looks flat, the ball doesn’t move with purpose, and too often it’s all happening in front of the opposition instead of asking proper questions. You end up watching the minutes tick by, hoping for a moment rather than expecting one.

With this squad, why are we so hard to watch?

That’s what makes it so infuriating. Nobody’s saying Liverpool have to play one specific way, but you do expect a level of intensity and imagination with the players we’ve got. We should be one of those sides you put on in any league and think, “this’ll be worth a watch.” Instead, it’s feeling nowhere near even average.

And it isn’t just about aesthetics, either. “Attractive” football at Liverpool has always been tied to being aggressive, brave, and hard to play against. When those things aren’t there, it stops looking like a temporary wobble and starts looking like an identity problem.

Slot out, even if the trophies come

The strongest line in all of this is the one some people will hate: Slot out, regardless of what the final league position says. That’s not a hot take for the sake of it, it’s a judgement on the direction of travel. If you believe the manager can win games but can’t make the team look like Liverpool, then the disconnect is already too big.

Because truth is, it’s not only about what you win. It’s about what you recognise. And right now, plenty of us aren’t recognising ourselves in what we’re watching.

Written by Salah: 3 January 2026

Tags: efl transfers tactics