The Knot
Liverpool and their catalogue of tactical problems.
It’s a really interesting time to be a Liverpool supporter right now — especially if you’re subscribed to this Substack — because while Arne Slot is managing an extremely talented squad, his team are also inundated with tactical concerns.
People lose their heads during troublesome periods like this. They blame Liverpool’s struggles on everything under the sun. Anything conceivable. Ask 100 different supporters, you’ll get 100 different answers.
We’re missing Trent Alexander-Arnold. Florian Wirtz is a boy. Andy Robertson isn’t playing enough. Ibrahima Konaté is thinking about Real Madrid. We should’ve never sold Luis Díaz. All hail Marc Guehi.
Boring. But that’s what losing two on the bounce does to a fanbase.
Now, maybe there’s a degree of truth attached to some of those shouts. It’s entirely possible. But the scattergun approach to diagnosing Liverpool’s current issues kinda epitomises the reality of the landscape right now.
As far as I’m concerned, this is a complex one. A really difficult knot to unravel. Sometimes, the problem is obvious. Fix [insert issue here], and you’ll be fine. Voilà.
But upon inspection of the Reds at the moment, there’s a multitude of flaws ruining the taste of the cocktail. Some are more prominent than others, but if I’m honest, there’s an element of where do we even start?
You’re probably reading this piece in anticipation of the big reveal. The part where I tell you guys exactly why the champions suddenly look terrible despite breaking the British transfer record twice in the summer just gone.
But no, not today. Sorry. It just isn’t that simple. There’s too much in there. Too much to think about. And not enough evidence to definitively state exactly what Slot needs to solve to keep his job.
So instead of unveiling a headline obstacle, I’m going to gloss over a few concerns festering in my mind. Thoughts I’m mulling over having watched all ten of Liverpool’s games in all competitions this term, as well as each of their pre-season friendlies.
