Arne Slot’s Liverpool are in the midst of a nightmare run of nine losses from 12 games across all competitions — their worst since they lost nine in 11 during the 1953-54 season. This has left the reigning English Premier League champions languishing in 12th place in the points table (18 points from six wins in 12 games). They are also in danger of missing out on direct qualification for the UEFA Champions League (UCL) Round-of-16 — the top eight finishers go through, the Reds are currently 13th in the UCL table — and may have to contest a two-legged knockout match. Amidst increasing calls for Slot’s ouster barely six months after he won the EPL, mid-day finds out what has gone wrong with the Reds.
Stagnant Salah
The Egyptian forward has been the face of Liverpool’s success in the last eight years, but this season he has been a major factor in their decline. Salah, 32, has looked off the pace, with his usually reliable finishing deserting him. He has scored just five goals in 18 matches across all competitions. Furthermore, Salah has offered very little off the ball too, leading to the team’s right-flank severely under-performing.
Porous defence
Ibrahima Konate (left) & Virgil van Dijk
Liverpool boasted of the second best defence in the league last season, conceding 41 goals, to be just behind Arsenal (38 goals). However, this season, the defensive solidity has evaporated as skipper Virgil van Dijk and his centre-back partner Ibrahima Konate have been guilty of committing glaring errors at crucial junctures. Consequently, Liverpool have already conceded 34 goals across all competitions, which is in stark contrast to the 12 goals they let in by November end last season. Liverpool have shockingly conceded three or more goals in each of their last three matches — the last time this happened was in December 1953.
Pricey new recruits Isak, Wirtz off the pace
Florian Wirtz
Liverpool splurged an eye-watering £241.5 million (Rs 2853 crore) to bring in striker Alexander Isak and attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz, but neither has been able to replicate the magic they displayed at their former clubs. Isak missed the entire pre-season phase at his previous club, Newcastle United, as he pushed for a move to Liverpool, thus arriving at Anfield desperately lacking in match fitness.
Alexander Isak
Isak has only played 10 games so far and scored just one goal. On the other hand, Wirtz, has drastically failed to adapt to the intensity and pressure of the English Premier League. The German hasn’t scored yet this season and has only three assists in 16 games across all competitions with none having come in the EPL.
Squad overhaul causing problems
Arne Slot
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Liverpool’s squad overhaul exemplifies this adage. After purchasing 11 players this summer while letting go of five key first-team members, including Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luis Diaz, boss Slot has struggled to integrate the new players as he tries to find the right balance between attack and defence. Liverpool’s error mirrors what Nottingham Forest did in 2022-23, when they signed 21 first-team players only to finish 16th, four points off a relegation spot.
Lack of intensity
Alexis Mac Allister
The best Liverpool teams of the past decade have been categorised by their high press. However, Slot’s side have been off the boil this season due to the lack of intensity from midfielders, including Alexis Mac Allister. They have initiated 141 presses on average per match this season which is much lower than last season (177). Also, in terms of creating turnovers in the final third of the pitch, Liverpool average 6.9 this season as opposed to 8.1 last season.
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