Slot, standards, and a squad that looks underused

There’s frustration, and then there’s the sort of frustration that comes when you look at Liverpool and think: are we actually set up properly to compete in the Premier League week after week?

For me, it starts with the wider management of the situation. If Arne Slot is the man, then treat it like he’s the man. The idea that he’s still flying back and forth before he’s even properly got going just doesn’t scream clarity or standards. This is Liverpool. The job demands your full life, not half of it.

The Premier League punishes even small drop-offs

Plenty of managers arrive from abroad and need time to adjust, but you cannot approach this league like it’s a gentler version of elite football. The Premier League is relentless. You can play well for 70 minutes and still come away with nothing if your intensity drops, your distances go, or you switch off in transition.

That’s the bit that grates. Liverpool have been built on being sharp without the ball, being aggressive, being switched on. If you’re anything less than 100% on a given weekend, you get caught out. It’s not about “bad luck”. It’s the weekly price of being a fraction off it.

You can’t complain about depth if you don’t trust it

I keep hearing talk about squad depth, but what is depth if it never gets used? And even when it does, why do the players coming in look like they’re miles from match fitness or match rhythm?

Rotation isn’t a luxury in this league. It’s part of the plan. If you only ever lean on the same core, then of course the squad feels short when you need it most. A big squad should mean genuine options, not bodies who look like strangers to the system when they’re finally called upon.

The youth pathway shouldn’t suddenly be “too hard”

The other thing I can’t have is the idea that the young lads “aren’t ready”, full stop. Under Jürgen Klopp, we saw young players step in because the pathway was clearer. Training looked aligned with first-team demands, and when a kid got a chance, he already knew the patterns and the expectations.

That doesn’t mean every academy player is the answer. It does mean the transition can be smoother when the club’s structure is joined up. Right now, it feels less joined up, and that’s worrying.

After following Liverpool for decades, I’m not interested in drama. I’m interested in standards. The likes of Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk have given this club elite years, and you hate the thought of any season being allowed to drift when players like that are still performing. Liverpool News Views can dress it up however it likes, but supporters know what their eyes are telling them.

Written by grino75: 18 January 2026