It’s been a sobering week for Liverpool fans. Two painful defeats first outclassed by PSG in Europe, then physically bullied by Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final. For all of Liverpool’s usual swagger, this past week laid bare the cracks.
Arne Slot, the Dutch mastermind brought in to carry the torch from Jurgen Klopp, now knows exactly where the gaps are. The midfield is crying out for steel and stamina.
Gravenberch looks burnt out after being thrust into a pivotal role all season, while Alexis Mac Allister, classy though he is, was outmuscled at Wembley. Slot needs a powerhouse someone who can boss midfield battles the way Bruno Guimarães and Joelinton just did.
Yes, Giorgi Mamardashvili is arriving to bolster the goalkeeping department, but that’s not where the bleeding is. The issue is midfield grit.
Liverpool are fine when they’re dictating play, but when forced into a scrap, they fall short. Slot’s desire to dominate possession is clear, but the modern Premier League demands versatility. Without a midfield enforcer, Liverpool’s beautiful football will keep getting bullied.
Then there’s the contract saga. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, and Mohamed Salah remain in limbo.
Trent is Liverpool’s heart and soul, Van Dijk is the captain colossus, and Salah is still racking up ridiculous numbers 27 goals and 17 assists in the league alone! Yet, their futures hang in the balance, with age a looming factor for Van Dijk and Salah.
Slot is no stranger to rebuilding projects, but this summer will define him. He needs warriors, players who can grind when the going gets tough.
His tweaks to Klopp’s system are clever, but this squad needs more than guile it needs fight.
Liverpool have dominated the ball all season, but when possession slips away, so does control. Sunday’s late spark from Curtis Jones was proof that energy and aggression can shift momentum. Now Slot must find players who bring that from minute one.
This isn’t panic stations far from it. But as any Kopite will tell you, these setbacks could be the fuel for greatness. The summer transfer window just became Liverpool’s most important battle yet.
What a ride the next few months will be.
