After missing the last couple of games, sitting down to watch Liverpool again really highlighted one thing straight away: there looks to be a lot more togetherness about this team. The body language, the reactions to moments, the way they dug in together, it all felt a bit more like a proper unit again.
Shape, second balls and a clearer plan
What stood out most was the tactical side. You could actually see a clearer set up, lads understanding their roles a bit more and doing the ugly stuff without sulking. The work off the ball was better, and there was a real desire to fight for those second balls instead of letting teams stroll through midfield.
It feels like the recent big result in Europe against Inter Milan and this win over Brighton might be doing the job confidence-wise. For a while it looked like we were trying to force the players into a style that just didn’t really suit them, and everyone suffered for it. Now it looks a touch more balanced, like Slot has trimmed things down and gone with something the squad can actually execute without looking lost.
The quality isn’t perfect yet, you can see there’s still a bit of hesitancy at times, but there’s at least the framework there. That’s often the first step before the really good football comes back.
Gomez frustration and Salah on a mission
It was hard not to feel gutted for Joe Gomez. Every time it feels like he’s building a bit of rhythm, something seems to go wrong. Hopefully this latest issue is nothing serious and just a knock, because the squad is always better with him in it, on the pitch or pushing others for a place.
On the other side, Mo Salah looked like a man on a mission. It felt like his best performance of the season for us: sharper in his touches, more direct, more involved in everything good we did. None of us really know what’s been said behind closed doors, and the speculation around him has been non-stop, but on this showing he looked determined to quieten a few doubters.
With him heading off to AFCON, you just hope he carries that mindset with him and then brings it straight back when he returns. Maybe this spell of being under the microscope a bit, with that misstep in the press and people questioning his attitude, has reinforced that the team and the club come first. If this is the version of Salah we get more regularly, we’ll be fine.
Five on another day and what fans really want
The performance as a whole was encouraging. With just a bit more care with the final ball, Liverpool could easily have stuck four or five past Brighton. The moves were there, the runners were there, it was just that last little bit of quality that was missing at times.
More than anything though, these players just need their confidence back. When that goes, everything looks slow and forced. When it returns, the same patterns suddenly look slick and aggressive. Results like Inter and Brighton can be turning points, not because they fix everything overnight but because they remind the squad they can still win big games playing their football.
Whether or not Arne Slot ends up being the long-term man, whether he stays for years or goes sooner, the basics don’t change for Liverpool supporters. All we ask for is effort and honesty on the pitch. If the players show that, they’ll get unending support from the stands and from fans watching around the world. More of the same next match, build on it, and let the belief keep growing bit by bit.
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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.
