Liverpool’s Struggles: A Call for Immediate Improvement

omidbasir- Gravenberch has stated that Liverpool must “start winning games,” yet this has proven difficult for the Reds throughout the season, particularly since the beginning of the year.

On paper, Slot’s squad has a manageable set of fixtures leading up to the March international break, facing Sunderland (away), Nottingham Forest (home), West Ham (home), Wolves (away), Tottenham (home), and Brighton (away). Among these teams, newly-promoted Sunderland ranks highest in mid-table, making a minimum target of 14 points essential from these six matches. Achieving four wins and two draws would elevate Liverpool to 53 points after 29 games, placing them back in contention for a top-five finish ahead of a challenging final stretch that includes decisive matches against Manchester United (away), Chelsea (home), and Aston Villa (away) in May.

Historically, 66 points has been sufficient to secure fifth place in the Premier League over the past two seasons (though Newcastle narrowly entered the Champions League on goal difference last year). Thus, Liverpool requires at least 27 points from the remaining 39 available matches, a target typically achievable for a title-contending team.

The concern arises from the fact that while Manchester United and Chelsea have regained form following managerial changes, Liverpool has not yet reaped the rewards of their decision to retain Slot as head coach.

Following the last international break, Liverpool had a prime opportunity to redirect their season with a match against relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest on November 22, but they faltered dramatically, conceding the opening goal and suffering a humiliating 3-0 defeat.

While the Reds remained unbeaten for two months afterward, their run was marked by an unprecedented series of draws—six out of ten matches—between November 30 and January 17. They managed to secure only one positive result at the Emirates Stadium, and even three of their four victories against Brighton, Tottenham, and Wolves were less than convincing.

Thus, it was disconcerting to hear Slot speak of improvements following the City match and before the upcoming trip to Sunderland, given that Liverpool has only secured one win in their last seven league matches in 2026. The fixtures have not been particularly challenging, with the team collecting just three points from matches against Leeds, Fulham, Burnley, and Bournemouth.

There is little reason to believe that Liverpool will suddenly overpower low-block teams, especially Sunderland, who have yet to lose a home game this season.

The promising partnership between Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz offers some hope for the future; however, Mohamed Salah’s current form has diminished significantly. The once-inspiring player, who played a crucial role in Liverpool’s second Premier League title, has experienced a troubling decline, scoring only four goals in 17 league matches—his worst record at this point in the season since his days in Serie A over a decade ago.

It remains unclear who is responsible for Salah’s slump, as he hasn’t transformed into an average player overnight; age inevitably affects all athletes, but his abilities did not vanish at the end of last season. Salah previously indicated he felt scapegoated when removed from the lineup in November, while Slot may point to a drop in performance that no longer justifies the reduction in his defensive responsibilities from last season.

What is clear is that Slot urgently needs to restore Salah’s confidence, as Liverpool currently lacks another player capable of scoring thirty goals in a season. While Ekitike appears to be exceeding expectations and Wirtz has recently increased his contributions, no one else, aside from perhaps Dominik Szoboszlai with his set-pieces, has stepped up to alleviate the pressure resulting from Salah’s struggles, leading to numerous frustrating draws and losses in close matches that Salah previously resolved.

Additionally, Luis Diaz’s absence has become more pronounced than anticipated, as Cody Gakpo has struggled to fill the void left by the Colombian winger. Liverpool’s management felt compelled to sell Diaz after he expressed a desire to leave, allowing him to join Bayern Munich for €75 million (£65m/$89m). Despite Diaz’s contributions during a record-equalling 20th title triumph, the club justified the sale given his desire to depart at age 28.

Expectations were high for Gakpo after he was repositioned on the left wing last season and finished with 18 goals in all competitions. Unfortunately, his form has significantly dipped, making him a focal point of fan frustration due to his tendency to cut inside onto his right foot without effectiveness.

Adding insult to injury, Diaz scored a hat-trick for Bayern on the night Gakpo’s ineffective performance against City left fans exasperated. Gakpo has become a target for criticism, but Slot argues he has limited options, as Federico Chiesa has not capitalized on his limited starts and young talent Rio Ngumoha is still only 17.

There is a compelling argument that Slot’s squad is lacking depth, a surprising revelation following an unprecedented summer spending spree. This inadequacy was glaringly apparent in a recent match where Slot displayed little faith in his substitutes, introducing Curtis Jones only six minutes before the end and bringing on Chiesa only after falling behind late in the game. In contrast, Pep Guardiola’s wealth of options allowed him to field players that Liverpool should have signed, such as Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo, while also having the luxury of bringing on Ruben Dias, Nathan Ake, and Rayan Cherki, and keeping Phil Foden, Tijjani Reijnders, and Nico Gonzalez on the bench for the entire match.

Liverpool’s current situation leaves them with no choice but to deploy another midfielder, likely Jones, at right-back against Sunderland, as Szoboszlai is suspended from his recent dismissal against City, and Slot clearly has no faith in Calvin Ramsay.

While losing both Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong to injury at the same time could be deemed unfortunate, Slot’s comments about Liverpool’s lack of luck fail to address the known injury history of players like the Irishman and Joe Gomez, who has struggled to maintain fitness throughout the season.

The recruitment team has much to answer for, as despite nearly half a billion pounds spent last summer, the current squad lacks the capacity to conclude the league season strongly while also making a deep run in either the FA Cup or Champions League. Positive discussions among Slot, Hughes, and Billy Hogan will not convince the fans otherwise.

As Slot openly acknowledged to the press, Liverpool is struggling to cope with a demanding schedule of two matches per week. Jamie Carragher suggested that the only way for Liverpool to salvage their season is by winning a seventh European Cup, and it appears that the team is more suited for continental competition than the grueling Premier League. However, the team’s struggles extend beyond the physical realm; they are also grappling with psychological issues. Once known for their formidable mentality, the team now appears fragile, failing to withstand pressure, as evidenced by their record for conceding late goals in this season’s league.

With 13 matches remaining, it would not be surprising if Liverpool ultimately claimed the unwanted record for the most last-minute losses. Slot admitted that the team has reached a point where they almost expect to lose matches in the dying minutes, a disheartening and alarming development.

“The number of times we have conceded late goals in extra time is significantly higher than usual. Is it bad luck, or are we to blame?” the former Feyenoord coach pondered. “I have tried various strategies, made defensive substitutions, and maintained the same players in the lineup, yet the results remain unchanged. We cannot deny the absence of luck; the question is whether this misfortune is a reflection of who we are as a team. In the coming three to four months, we will need to uncover that truth.”

Ultimately, Liverpool’s self-belief is waning, leaving them uncertain of their identity. This unfortunate crisis of confidence threatens their chances of securing Champions League football, something Slot recognized as unacceptable.

While their top-five competitors are not without flaws, both United and Chelsea remain unbeaten under their new coaches, and despite the injury troubles at Villa, they hold an eight-point lead over Liverpool—an increasingly insurmountable gap for a team averaging just 1.52 points per game this season and on track for a mere 59 points.

For the Anfield faithful, the pressing concern is that if Liverpool fails to regain their confidence over the next six weeks, they will fall too far behind Villa, United, and Chelsea, making their head-to-head matchups irrelevant come May.

There is now minimal margin for error. “We must strive for near perfection,” Slot emphasized ahead of the Sunderland game. However, this target seems unlikely, given that even established players like Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker are now making critical defensive errors.

While the coach cannot be held responsible for individual mistakes, he has admitted that despite improvements in performance, the results have not followed suit. As he articulated, the league standings are a truthful reflection of the current situation, and Liverpool finds itself in considerable jeopardy. Champions League qualification hangs in the balance, as does the manager’s future.