This weekend last year, Liverpool fans travelled to Chelsea with balloons and inflatables, barely going half a minute without reminding the world they were champions. The party had hardly halted after the Reds were crowned kings of England seven days earlier, and those fans wanted that glorious month of celebrations to continue. For many supporters, especially the younger ones, that period was the best of their lives.
A year on, those same fans cannot wait for this abhorrent, exhausting season to end. The good news is that it soon will. The bad news, however, is that there is zero evidence—despite what Arne Slot might claim—to give anyone belief that next year will be better.
Liverpool are simply not learning from the multitude of mistakes that have ruined this campaign. This was their 11th league defeat of the season and 18th in all competitions, the most since 2009-10. Most have followed a similar pattern: glimpses of quality overwritten by vulnerable, sloppy, and naive football.
Liverpool showed their ability for a 20-minute spell just after half-time but were second best for the majority of the game. They could be proud of their performance after the break, but the insipid, mistake-laden first half meant the damage was already done.
Alongside seven draws, Liverpool have now dropped points in more games than they have won. The same problems that cropped up in the early months of the season are still commonplace. Slot is not fixing the issues; they are just coasting along.
They have conceded 17 goals from set-pieces this term, their most on record, and always look weak defensively. The midfield is far too passive, with the once-formidable duo of Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch now shadows of their former selves.
Florian Wirtz, the £116 million signing, simply does not do enough for a player of that price tag. The German is a young lad settling into a new culture who is clearly feeling the pressure, but we must see more of a return on that investment next year. He has not registered a goal or assist in the league against a team higher than 10th in the current table. A supposed game-changer does not change games, whereas another target and fellow summer arrival, Manchester City's Rayan Cherki, is setting the world alight.
Alexander Isak reported a minor groin problem in the week and missed this match, while Mohamed Salah watched from the stands with a hamstring issue. Without those two and long-term absentee Hugo Ekitike, the Reds were toothless in attack. This also raised a wider issue: replacing Salah will be harder than many think. Even though he has been nowhere near his best, the Egyptian is still better than most in the league. Signing just one forward to replace him this summer arguably leaves them short, given Isak's fitness issues and Ekitike's ruptured Achilles, which will sideline him for a sizable chunk of next season.
'Too often we've seen this type of performance… soft and weak,' said Jamie Carragher on Sky Sports, who added that Wirtz has had an 'easy ride' with critics. He is spot on with both counts, though it is worth pointing out the attacking midfielder is far from their biggest issue.
In Slot's defence, he did have a threadbare squad given those injuries, but this was still an expensively-assembled XI where 10 of 11 players had won a league title, either last season at Liverpool or in other countries before signing. The head coach always comes armed with a long list of mitigating factors such as injuries, profligacy in front of goal, and referees. He has a case on some counts, but these issues have been obvious from week one of the season. It is now week 35, and he has not fixed them.
Slot said: 'I don't think it's a surprise to anyone this season that if there's a VAR intervention or if there's something that could be left or could be right (50-50) then the decision goes against us. That has been the whole season every single time. I remember PSG at home, getting a penalty for a soft touch on Mac Allister but of course the VAR intervenes and says no, no, no, this is not a penalty. Then one week later when I see PSG play against Bayern Munich and get that same soft touch but the penalty stays. I saw last week my goalkeeper on the floor with an injury and the referee doesn't stop the game. I see a player of United off the pitch today and the referee stops the game when we try to play on. That has been our whole season. But the second goal we didn't concede because of a handball, we conceded it because we lost the ball in a stupid position and we lost a few big moments afterwards in duels. We have to first look at ourselves, that is completely clear and obvious, but that decisions have gone every single game against us, that's also completely clear and obvious.'
Just when one thought Liverpool had started to turn a corner with three straight wins, they take another alarming step backwards. Yes, they were back in this game at 2-2, but both of the Reds' goals were handed to them on a silver platter as United tried their best to toss away the win. With three games to play, Slot and Co must start to show us proof that they will learn from the vulnerabilities that have made following their fortunes this season an arduous, taxing journey for many fans.
