Why We Keep Fading Late On

There’s a conversation doing the rounds that actually fits what a lot of us have been watching with our own eyes: Liverpool aren’t finishing games properly because we’re not in great physical condition, and it might even be deliberate. Not “deliberate” as in throwing points away, obviously, but more like managing the squad’s energy with the run-in in mind. The trouble is, we’re living with the downside every week.

When you can’t end matches strongly, everything feels more dramatic than it needs to. You don’t just lose a few yards in the press. You lose the ability to make clean decisions. Pass selection gets rushed. First touches bounce. Clearances become hopeful. And the whole thing starts to look like panic rather than control.

When the legs go, the brain goes with them

People talk about “bottle” or “mentality” as if it’s separate from physical condition, but in football the two are tied together. If you’re blowing in the last 10 to 15 minutes, you’re far more likely to switch off for a second, over-commit, or try to force a pass that isn’t really on.

That’s how you get those moments that make you shout at the telly. The “why has he done that?” tackles. The needless giveaways. The refusal to take the simple option. It can look like a lack of calm, but often it’s a lack of oxygen. Mental fatigue is real. It turns composed footballers into rushed ones.

It feels different to last season

The comparison to last season is hard to ignore, because it felt like we had a bit more spring late on. Even when performances weren’t perfect, there was often a sense we could outlast teams. You could see it in the way we’d see games out, or find something right at the end, because the tempo didn’t completely fall off a cliff.

This season, the same stages of matches have too often turned into a scramble. It’s not always about being “worse” footballers. It’s about being a half-step late, then a full step late, and suddenly you’re reacting rather than dictating.

Slot’s chaos, or the cost of energy management?

If the idea is that we’ve traded some peak fitness now for more in the tank later, that’s a serious gamble. It might make sense on a whiteboard, but football isn’t played on a spreadsheet. Dropping standards in the closing stages can cost you points, confidence, and rhythm. And once that doubt creeps in, every late moment feels loaded.

That’s why the frustration lands at Arne Slot’s door. Not because he’s out there missing tackles, but because it starts to feel like a pattern that’s been accepted. If this is the “hat of chaos”, it’s not just about shape or selection. It’s about whether we’ve set ourselves up to handle the business end of matches with clear heads and fresh legs.

Written by OliRed: 23 December 2025