There’s no point pretending it’s been pure joy watching Liverpool week to week. At times it’s felt like we’ve been chewing our way through games rather than playing with any real flow. But even in a patchy spell, you can still spot the bones of something that could click.
The season isn’t even at the stage where you can properly call it. We’re not quite halfway through the league programme, and that matters because form swings. Teams go on runs. Managers learn what they’ve actually got. And supporters, us included, can talk ourselves into a completely different mood by the time the fixtures start stacking up again after the break.
European nights can tell you plenty
If there’s one thing that’s helped keep the head up, it’s that we’ve looked stronger in the Champions League overall. European games can flatter you, but they can also reveal a level of control and maturity that’s sometimes missing domestically when everyone knows your patterns and comes to spoil your day.
There’s been a sense, at least in spells, that Liverpool can manage moments better: slow it down when needed, pick the press at the right time, and not turn every match into a track meet. That’s the kind of growth you want to carry into the league, where the margins feel tighter and the patience gets tested quickly.
New faces settling, and that matters
A few individuals have given reasons to be hopeful. Wirtz and Ekitike looking good is the sort of thing you cling to when the overall performance hasn’t been pretty, because it hints at quality that can lift the floor of the side. Kerkez settling in is another one. Full-backs always take a bit of time at Liverpool, because the role asks for everything: defending wide, joining in, reading transitions, and not getting caught on the wrong side of the ball.
And even Frimpong’s return to action being promising feels important. With this squad, the difference between “not quite right” and “sharp again” can be one player giving you a bit more speed, a bit more output, a bit more threat.
The centre-back issue can’t be ignored
All that said, it would be criminal not to sign a centre-back. That’s not doom-mongering, it’s just squad building. You can talk tactics all day, but if you’re thin in the spine, eventually it catches up with you.
If a centre-half does arrive, it doesn’t magically fix everything. But it can settle the whole side: the line is braver, the midfield doesn’t have to over-cover, and suddenly those scrappy games become a bit calmer. That’s the hope going into the new year. Get the basics right, back the positives we’re seeing, and give ourselves a proper platform to kick on.
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Liverpool News Views offers daily Liverpool coverage including match reaction, transfer analysis, EFL context, tactical breakdowns and opinion-led articles written by supporters for supporters.
