Liverpool's summer spending spree of £424m (£550m) has left fans wondering what was supposed to be achieved. With their disappointing form at the start of this season, it's difficult to pinpoint exactly what went wrong.
The club was close to landing Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guéhi for an additional £40m, which could have provided a vital option in defence and allowed Arne Slot to rest Ibrahima Konaté. However, the partnership between Konaté and Virgil van Dijk has been less effective this season than it was in previous campaigns.
Slot's tactics this season seem to be focused on returning to last season's midfield structure, with a return to 10 outfield players from the previous campaign. This approach, however, seems to have made Liverpool vulnerable to direct balls played behind their full-backs. The decision to stick with this strategy appears to have been an acknowledgment that too much change was attempted in the summer.
Soccer teams are complex organisms, and even on a purely tactical level, changing one element of a lineup has an impact on the other 10 elements. Removing Trent Alexander-Arnold from the team would render Liverpool without a player who can naturally invert to become an auxiliary holding midfielder.
Slot had become convinced that opponents had worked out Liverpool's tactics by the end of last season and decided to make significant changes this summer. While some change was inevitable, it remains unclear what Slot intended with his approach.
The club signed two centre-forwards – Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike – for a combined fee of £210m (£276m), providing an unusually privileged position. However, the question is where Florian Wirtz, who cost £100m plus add-ons, was supposed to fit into the team.
Wirtz's role was initially seen as a central creator in a 4-2-3-1, but this approach left Liverpool exposed at the back. With Wirtz struggling to cope with the physicality of the Premier League, it's hard to see how he and Mohamed Salah can play together without risking midfield overwhelm.
The only possible explanation for Liverpool's recruitment strategy is that they aimed to create a 4-3-1-2 system, with Wirtz playing behind Alexander Isak and Ekitike. However, this plan seems unworkable unless the team adopts a more direct approach, reminiscent of the 1980s English game.
For now, Liverpool stand as a cautionary tale of how throwing money at a good team can make things worse.
The club was close to landing Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guéhi for an additional £40m, which could have provided a vital option in defence and allowed Arne Slot to rest Ibrahima Konaté. However, the partnership between Konaté and Virgil van Dijk has been less effective this season than it was in previous campaigns.
Slot's tactics this season seem to be focused on returning to last season's midfield structure, with a return to 10 outfield players from the previous campaign. This approach, however, seems to have made Liverpool vulnerable to direct balls played behind their full-backs. The decision to stick with this strategy appears to have been an acknowledgment that too much change was attempted in the summer.
Soccer teams are complex organisms, and even on a purely tactical level, changing one element of a lineup has an impact on the other 10 elements. Removing Trent Alexander-Arnold from the team would render Liverpool without a player who can naturally invert to become an auxiliary holding midfielder.
Slot had become convinced that opponents had worked out Liverpool's tactics by the end of last season and decided to make significant changes this summer. While some change was inevitable, it remains unclear what Slot intended with his approach.
The club signed two centre-forwards – Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike – for a combined fee of £210m (£276m), providing an unusually privileged position. However, the question is where Florian Wirtz, who cost £100m plus add-ons, was supposed to fit into the team.
Wirtz's role was initially seen as a central creator in a 4-2-3-1, but this approach left Liverpool exposed at the back. With Wirtz struggling to cope with the physicality of the Premier League, it's hard to see how he and Mohamed Salah can play together without risking midfield overwhelm.
The only possible explanation for Liverpool's recruitment strategy is that they aimed to create a 4-3-1-2 system, with Wirtz playing behind Alexander Isak and Ekitike. However, this plan seems unworkable unless the team adopts a more direct approach, reminiscent of the 1980s English game.
For now, Liverpool stand as a cautionary tale of how throwing money at a good team can make things worse.
. I mean, £550m is crazy talk! You'd think that would guarantee some serious success, but nope... they're still struggling to find their footing. And it's not just the results, it's the way they're playing too. The tactics seem all over the place – sometimes they're playing 10 outfield players, and other times they're leaving themselves exposed at the back.
. I mean, where did they even think Florian Wirtz was going to fit in? The guy's got talent, don't get me wrong, but he's just not the same player as he is in the Bundesliga.
. I mean, you can't just rip up the entire team and expect everything to work out. It's like they're trying to reinvent the wheel or something. And now they're stuck with this 4-3-1-2 system that's just not working... it's like they're going back to the 80s English game, but without the charm 
.
. They've got all the money in the world, and yet they still can't seem to get it right. It's like they're trying to be a bunch of hipsters who are all about being different, but really they just look like a bunch of clueless fans who don't know what they want 
.
. I mean, £550m is a lot, but you've got to give the boss credit for not playing it safe 
. The squad looks super deep, especially with those two new centre-forwards coming in 
. It's just a shame that they might have overdone it on some signings... like who exactly was supposed to play alongside Wirtz and Isak? 
. And yeah, I can see how their tactics could be a bit confusing at times 
. Maybe we'll see some evolution in the coming weeks and months? Stranger things have happened, right? 
. And what's with Wirtz? £100m plus add-ons is a huge sum, but his role seems unclear and he's struggling to cope with the physicality of the Premier League 
. I think Liverpool got a bit carried away with their spending spree and now they're facing the music 
, tbh. They've got some big-name signings but it's hard to see where they're all fitting in 
. Adding Guéhi would've been sick 
, but now we're left wondering what went wrong 
. Slot's tactics seem a bit wonky 
and it's all just making the team look vulnerable 
. And don't even get me started on Wirtz and Isak 
... it's like they're trying to create a 4-3-1-2 system out of thin air 
. Can't say I'm impressed 
Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike are great players, don't get me wrong 
but instead, he's just struggling to keep up with the Premier League's physicality 
Yeah, that's my two cents 
. And Florian Wirtz... dude was signed for £100m plus add-ons and he still can't play with Salah without looking like they're going to get overwhelmed 
liverpool had so much cash and spent like crazy (£424m is wild) but theyre still struggling with their tactics lol its like slot tried to fix everything all at once but ended up breaking more stuff 
and I was thinking about how some people have those weird phobias where they freak out on elevators 
.
. Newsflash: teams adapt and evolve, so it's not gonna be easy to keep them guessing forever 
. Until then, it's gonna be tough to see them overcome their current struggles 
!
. And what if they just need to stick with their midfield structure and not worry so much about defense? 
.
. Until dey figure out wut's goin on, dey'll just be another cautionary tale of how much money can make things worse 