The most concerning bit about Liverpool’s current vibe isn’t one bad moment or one poor half. It’s the sense we’re drifting into a slow, careful tempo that’s meant to control matches, while at the same time looking like we’re one sprint away from trouble.
You can see the idea, to be fair. Keep the ball, move it safely, conserve energy, avoid turning every game into a track meet. Fine in theory. But it only holds up if the squad looks sharp enough to press when it matters, and robust enough to get through the week without bodies piling up.
Conserving energy only works if you’re not running on fumes
If players are “dropping like flies”, the logic of slow, labouring football collapses in on itself. Saving energy is supposed to buy you freshness. If the conditioning isn’t where it needs to be, or the intensity is being managed badly, then you end up with the worst of both worlds: a side that plays within itself and still looks stretched.
And that’s where the fear creeps in. In the Premier League you don’t get to coast for long. If your passing gets a touch sloppy, or your distances off the ball open up, the opposition don’t need to do anything clever. They just wait for the loose touch, nick it, and you’re chasing back towards your own goal.
Mac Allister: perfect for keep-ball, vulnerable in the scrap
Alexis Mac Allister is the name that keeps coming up because it’s such a visible contrast. On the ball, he can absolutely suit a manager who wants possession first and foremost. He’s calm, he’ll show for it, he’ll keep it moving, and he’ll take responsibility when the game feels tight.
But football isn’t played on a tactics board, is it? If his legs have gone a bit, even temporarily, then the other side can smell it. The physical side becomes a problem. He doesn’t have to be “done” as a player for it to be an issue in certain match-ups, especially when games get messy and you need midfielders who can stand up in contact and win their share of duels.
When it looks like he’s being knocked around too easily, or going to ground too readily, you start to feel that horrible thing as a supporter: like we’re carrying someone. Not because the lad doesn’t care, but because the role is demanding something his body isn’t giving him right now.
What needs to change, quickly
Liverpool don’t need to abandon possession to fix this. The answer isn’t hoofing it for the sake of it. It’s about finding that edge again: a bit more speed in the circulation, a bit more bite when we lose it, and some honest choices about who’s physically ready to play the way we want.
Because if we keep trying to play at half-tempo while looking short in the legs, we’ll get punished. Not occasionally. Regularly.
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