To this day, Arne Slot remains in place.
To this day, the champions, who are no longer eligible to defend their Premier League title, continue playing the same way.
Before the international break at the end of March, which offers some breathing room for the coach and the struggling team, this person recently watched the Brighton vs. Liverpool match at the Amex Stadium. Despite his deep loyalty to the Reds, he had to clearly admit that Liverpool deserved to lose—and probably by a larger margin (they only lost 1-2).
--- Intensity cannot be bought with money ---
In recent years, we've become familiar with English terms like pressing, which means quickly closing down the opponent's space after losing the ball or aggressively trying to regain possession, usually in the attacking third.
Another related term is intensity, which describes the overall intensity of football play—encompassing not only physicality, speed, and challenges but also pressing.
It's not about making comparisons, but this was always a strength during Jürgen Klopp's era. So why has it disappeared this season?
I try to sympathize with the Dutch coach who, after a brilliant win over Galatasaray to advance to the Champions League quarterfinals, had only 60 hours to rest (counting from Arne, my brother—who shares the same hairstyle, haha!). He had to travel far south without his first-choice goalkeeper Alisson Becker and, of course, the player everyone knows—Mohamed Salah.
Then, just moments into the game, Hugo Ekitike, the hopeful striker, collapsed in the center of the pitch after a challenge from James Milner (the match's Man of the Match).
This happened within the first three minutes. Seeing his unusually long stillness, the person watching from the press box observed the reactions on the sidelines and whispered to himself, "Should he be substituted immediately?" Why were they so motionless?
It wasn’t a harsh or deliberate foul. Ekitike managed to stand, move to the sideline, and even try to continue playing, but then he collapsed again near the penalty area of the seagulls. He had to be substituted by the eighth minute.
The initial diagnosis was a dead leg—a thigh muscle injury caused by impact. Now it’s a matter of waiting to see how serious it is.
--- With this kind of injury, don’t push to continue playing; the muscle could tear worse. You know, Arne! (Oops... sorry.)
But I won’t try to excuse the team as they enter the season’s crucial final phase, competing intensely for success, yet still failing to play with intensity.
And it’s not about being unable to use Alexander Isak, the record expensive striker, or missing other stars in this game. Why is there such a big quality and price gap between Brighton and Liverpool players?
Even when playing, the older players than coach Fabian Hürzeler (only 33 years old) still had abundant energy to run.
--- Substitutions and tactical changes cause confusion ---
I understand that in modern professional football clubs, there is a sporting director working closely with owners and executives. It’s no longer the old days when Harry Redknapp or Sir Alex Ferguson would personally call and negotiate to sign players.
Whether due to someone’s mistake or not, I sympathize with Mr. Slot because last summer’s big transfer window didn’t bring in a national-level center half. Giovanni Leonie, unfortunately, got a chance to play but then suffered a long-term injury right away. Anyway, he represents the future and doesn’t need to be counted now.
What the club should have done was sign Mark Gehe and Isak early in the summer window so they could train, regain fitness, and develop understanding with teammates. Another mistake was not bringing in an additional defensive midfielder.
Before conceding the first goal to the seagulls, substitute Curtis Jones passed the ball in midfield without pressure, allowing it to escape out wide. Then a series of errors followed. Goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili played a short pass in the penalty area to Ibrahima Konaté but overhit it, losing the throw-in on the side and leading to a punishment.
The punishment came from a familiar scene this season. Whoever went up for the header often beat Liverpool’s center backs. Especially Danny Welbeck, who at 35 years old is in excellent form this year, with some calling for Thomas Tuchel to include him in the World Cup squad.
Brighton’s midfield pair Milner (40 years old) and Pascal Gross (34, recalled from Germany earlier this year) once again exposed Liverpool’s midfield weaknesses. You complain about the schedule, yet you keep relying on the same players.
I understand the coach is constantly problem-solving, and Ekitike’s early injury affected the planned tactics.
If substituting Curtis Jones and then playing Florian Wirtz alongside the unnamed favorite striker reminds someone of the Manchester City vs. Liverpool game at the Etihad last season, when the Dutch coach surprised by pairing Jones and Szoboszlai to press high and excel, winning impressively, and you thought that tactic could work against PSG — but it has never been seen again.
In the 31st Premier League match this season against the seagulls, we saw the same old things. Jones and Szoboszlai had to fill in at right-back. There were three right-backs rotated in one game, besides Jeremy Frimpong, whose strength and defensive game are weaknesses but whose main role is team joker, often teased by teammates.
When clueless, they revert to what was seen in the first half of the season: substituting Ibrahima Konaté out and moving Ryan Gravenberch to center-back.
Ibu (Konaté) did not play well, but many others performed similarly poorly. When tactics needed changing, it was the same old approach again.
I understand the cycle of success has its ups and downs.
From another perspective, I understand fans’ desire for the intensity and excitement Liverpool is known for, which is the foundation of success for all teams, even smaller ones like Brighton.
I can’t say whether giving opportunities to Xabi Alonso or even Steven Gerrard would be better.
But right now, it isn’t.
They can’t break down teams that defend in low blocks; and when playing Brighton, a team that plays real football, there is no excuse.
They need to fix this. If they can’t, then it’s every man for himself, ha-ha.
- Little Joe -