I’ll say it straight: I don’t think Arne Slot’s our man, even if he somehow turns it around and ends up lifting something. That’s not me being precious for the sake of it. It’s because Liverpool’s always been more than results on a spreadsheet. The style is the point, or at least it’s a huge part of it.

Some clubs can live off “job done” football. We never really have. At Anfield, the crowd isn’t just scenery, it’s a proper asset. Klopp got that from day one. When the tackles are flying in, when we’re hunting in packs, when we’re going up the pitch with purpose, you can feel 55,000 people buying into it at once.

The basics should look basic

I’m not pretending to be some tactics guru. Truth is, I’m not. But I’ve played enough team sport to know the fundamentals don’t change just because you’ve got elite technique.

With the ball, it’s width, speed of thought, and passes played ahead of your mate so he can run onto it. The frustration at the minute is we’ve got loads of technical ability, but not enough pace and precision in the passing. It feels like we take an extra touch, allow teams to set, then wonder why everything’s in traffic.

Without it, it’s even simpler: fight for every inch, don’t get bullied, outwork your man. Make opponents hate coming here.

Midfield needs bite, not passengers

For me, the midfield’s where the tone gets set. And right now I don’t think we’ve got enough bite in there.

I actually like Gravenberch, and I’d love to be proved wrong, but I’m not sure he fits what we need. He doesn’t look creative or technical enough to take on Mac’s sort of role, and he doesn’t look physical enough to boss the role he’s being asked to do now. That’s what makes him feel like a luxury player at times.

And yes, I’m saying it: I think Mac needs to go as well. Not because he’s a bad footballer, but because the balance isn’t right and it’s costing us.

Where have the partnerships gone?

Out wide, we’re crying out for someone who can beat a man over five yards, like Mané used to. Not every winger has to be a trickster, but you need one who can grab a game by the scruff of the neck and move us up the pitch when it’s sticky.

And the other thing that jumps out is the lack of proper RB-RW and LB-LW partnerships. It used to feel natural, like players understood each other’s runs. Now they can look like they’re in each other’s way, and whether that’s down to roles, spacing or instructions, it’s not helping.

Big picture, I’m just fed up with sides coming to Anfield thinking they’ve got a chance. Klopp’s first big idea was making this place a fortress again. We’ve got to get back to being a bad day out for everyone.

Written by Para-red: 8 January 2026

Tags: efl opinion