On a more serious note, if Arne Slot is asked to explain Liverpool’s poor performances in the 2025/26 season, Softfootball questions what his response would be.
This season, Liverpool added players such as Hugo Ekitike, Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong. Footballers who were key figures at their previous clubs. Despite this, results and performances have declined compared to the 2024/25 campaign, when far less was spent.
Liverpool invested over £500 million, yet the team appears worse off than the previous season. The key question remains: what has changed?
It is increasingly evident that Mohamed Salah played a central role in Liverpool’s strong performances last season. Current analysis of matches shows a lack of flow and a clear, consistent pattern of play.
Notably, Arne Slot had earlier raised concerns about the growing reliance on set-piece patterns in the Premier League this season. However, questions are now being asked about Liverpool’s own tactical identity and approach.
There is little cohesion in Liverpool’s play, with the team often relying on moments of individual brilliance. At times it is Virgil van Dijk, Dominik Szoboszlai, Hugo Ekitike, or Mohamed Salah who provide inspiration, rather than a structured and effective system.
