Liverpool entered the International Break on a downward trajectory. Losing three in a row – and two in the Premier League for the first time under Arne Slot – it’s understandable for folks to be concerned. Even when good fortune was on the Reds’ side as they tallied late wins to open the campaign, it was apparent that the squad was still finding its footing and not quite settled after a blockbuster transfer window over the summer.
All of those things are true. But you wouldn’t know it by the voices of certain pundits and sectors of the fanbase who are instead clamoring for wholesale changes and declaring – not even a quarter of the way through the season that some players (and, genuinely, nearly every new incoming player has been subject to this label at this point) are busts and need to be shipped out.
It’s absolute madness given the tenor of some of these posts would have you believe that Liverpool are headed for a relegation battle instead of being sat 1 point off of first place. But, then, we haven’t always been known for being measured in our love for LFC. And the frustration of watching the squad play through what can at times feel like – and this is a technical term – long COVID brainfog is one that understandably might pull some folks towards the melodramatic.
There are, though, some caveats to a few of those narratives that are worth drawing a bit of nuance out. And while I generally abhor the international break especially after a run of results like the aforementioned 3 match skid, I do think there’s some value in being able to take a pause and reflect as the schedule gets more intense.
The New Incomings Are Busts
This is one of the most popular takes and, paired with the more recent “we really miss Trent” take floating, it’s quite a lot to unpack. In truth, we’re certainly seeing a bit of struggle with a few of the signings bedding in with Milos Kerkez, Florian Wirtz, and Alexander Isak being the ones seemingly needing the most time to adjust. Of those three, I’d note that Wirtz has come in for what feels like a bit of undue stick likely owed to the fact that fans perceive the moving of player-of-the-season candidate Dominik Szoboszlai across the pitch up to Slot wanting to fit Wirtz into the system.
I don’t necessarily question the latter piece – Wirtz is brought in to play between the lines and utilize his skills to break low-blocks and so, yes, Slot has certainly prioritized playing the German at the 10. But there’s so much happening across the other phases of play that I can’t pin it all on him.
I’ll have more to say about the tactical issues confronting the club at the moment, but suffice to say that I wouldn’t pin the struggles of the club on Wirtz. In fact, the biggest area of concern on the pitch, for me, is the performance of Liverpool’s fullbacks.
We Miss Trent
It’s easy to look at the fullback corps at Anfield and laser focus on the inconsistent form of Milos Kerkez. But while the Hungarian left-back has certainly more than earned the criticism pointed his way, the truth of it is that the entire fullback unit has more than looked off the pace.
More troubling than Kerkez, for me, is that Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong have both struggled this season. And given that we’ve lost one of the best right-backs Europe has ever seen, it is understandable that the flat response is centered on a Trent Alexander-Arnold shaped void in Liverpool’s tactical deployment.
Most folks understood that losing Trent would be painful for a lot of reasons. A seemingly loud minority of folks, however, often underrated the Scouser’s value in the squad due to his perceived weaknesses as a defender. Watching his vaunted understudy and the big fullback replacements struggle this year should hopefully end the discussion on one of Liverpool’s most storied players while also underscoring just how much is asked out of that role under both Jurgen Klopp and Slot’s systems.
Also, I believe it’s the struggles in this phase of the gameplay that have had at least as much influence on Szobo being bounced around: I’d argue that Slot’s matchday decision making has been made fractionally easier by the struggles of Bradley (and the injury to Frimpong) in that he didn’t need to choose between Wirtz and Szobo, with the Hungarian midfielder capable of bringing what Slot prefers at rightback and keeping a place open at the 10 for the new signing.
What’s the Deal with the Midfield?
One of the overlooked pieces in Liverpool’s structural issues is the current struggles of Alexis Mac Allister. Arguably Liverpool’s best overall midfielder last season, the Argentinian international has looked miles off of his best. Likely carrying an injury at the end of last season, it doesn’t look like Macca has fully recovered.
And given all of the other changes in the squad, it’s tough to overlook just how different this team might be functioning if we had a fully fit Macca manning the middle of the pitch. It would also mean there’d be more opportunities for rotation, displaying the true victory in last summer’s transfer reload: a depth across positions that Liverpool needs in order to continue to compete at all levels.
It’s a rough patch – the most difficult in Arne Slot’s relatively young Liverpool career. So, it’s understandable that folks are concerned. But given the number of new faces to integrate – and the further challenge around bringing Isak up to speed given that he had no pre-season – Liverpool being in the position they’re in is just fine.
It’s not inevitable Liverpool gets the balance right, but I do think that Slot has the ability to find the way there. And with the international break providing some time for him to do just that – and maybe for extra time for the folks nursing injuries or struggling to understand their roles – I find myself feeling a sense of zen at the moment and increasing excitement at the return of club football.