Liverpool have develop into a gradual staff. And that’s an issue

Virgil van Dijk’s evaluation was scathing.

“We were too slow and predictable in possession,” the Liverpool captain instructed reporters after the Premier League champions’ 2-1 defeat to bottom-of-the-table Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday. “We made the wrong decisions.”

That sort of description has outlined too a lot of Liverpool’s video games this season. Whether it’s in possession or out of it, there was an absence of tempo and depth to Arne Slot’s aspect all through the marketing campaign.

Much had been product of Liverpool’s gradual begins within the build-up to Saturday’s dwelling fixture towards West Ham United. On that event, they burst out of the blocks and had been 1-0 up after 5 minutes — an emphatic response.

That was solely the third purpose that they had scored within the opening 20 minutes of Premier League video games and simply the eleventh time they’ve scored within the first half of their 29 league matches, netting 17 objectives in complete.

Three days later, away to a different of the division’s strugglers in Wolves, unhealthy habits resurfaced. Liverpool managed the primary half, and the vast majority of the second, however not often appeared like making the breakthrough from open play. At half-time, that they had recorded simply 4 pictures — two on track — and an anticipated objectives complete of 0.26.

Below are a handful of examples from that first half at Molineux which emphasise Van Dijk’s criticism.

This one started with Liverpool finishing three passes between outfield gamers, however it took 22 seconds to take action…

As play continued, Liverpool shifted the ball back and forth for the subsequent 55 seconds, however with little danger, and the motion from these off the ball lacked depth. It ended again with central defender Ibrahima Konate, and he performed a protracted ball into the channel, however striker Hugo Ekitike was unable to regulate it.

Not lengthy earlier than that passage of play, Liverpool did advance the ball to the sting of the Wolves field, however Milos Kerkez opted towards crossing and as an alternative the transfer fizzled out with Dominik Szoboszlai making an attempt a speculative shot from greater than 30 yards out.

When Slot was appointed in summer season 2024, one of many key modifications he made was growing a construction which was designed to offer his staff larger management in video games in comparison with the extra frenetic fashion underneath predecessor Jurgen Klopp. Throughout final season, Liverpool had been capable of stability that with a transition risk which helped them win the Premier League title.

The churn within the switch market final summer season means their squad now incorporates fewer gamers who can execute that intense fashion, with Slot doubling down on eager to exert larger management. The distinction is that the place the dial was set completely final season, it has now been turned too closely in direction of methodical build-up. Liverpool’s transition risk has diminished.

We can see this by the variety of possessions inside video games — what number of instances the ball modifications fingers between groups throughout 90 minutes. More possessions point out a higher-tempo and extra hectic recreation.

As the graphic under reveals, Liverpool’s possessions per recreation this season are at an eight-year low (82) and there was a notable drop on this metric since Slot got here in.

That doesn’t imply it’s ‘worse’ — Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola would favor a low quantity, for instance, and Liverpool received the title final season taking part in in a similar way (84.3) — however it does recommend a gradual tempo in matches.

That is additional demonstrated by the share of sequences Slot’s aspect performs at a ‘fast tempo’, which is when a staff transfer the ball shortly in a single sequence. This season, Liverpool’s share of fast-tempo sequences has dropped to fifteen per cent. It all underlines the message of the attention check — that they’ve been a tough watch too usually in 2025-26.

Part of the tempo change was nearly pressured upon Slot earlier this season in his makes an attempt to halt a dreadful run of type that noticed Liverpool lose 9 matches in 12. Imposing a extra compact construction noticed an upturn in outcomes as they launched into a 13-game unbeaten run, however there was little that was convincing or dynamic about their attacking play.

Transition requires velocity — consider Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane of their prime. But Salah (resulting from age) and Cody Gakpo (a participant with totally different bodily and technical attributes) don’t present that acceleration. Summer signing Ekitike does, as he confirmed within the purpose he created towards Wolves in December’s reverse fixture and his second towards Newcastle in January, as a result of he has the velocity and ball-carrying talents.

Salah and Gakpo have are available for lots of criticism this season and it was troublesome to not look of their course towards Wolves this week. While Salah did rating his first Premier League purpose since November 1, each largely didn’t influence the sport — a well-recognized story.

“‘Slow’ or ‘predictable’ are words that I can understand (Van Dijk) uses, but if you want to go faster, you have to be able to dominate situations on the sides because then something can happen,” Slot stated in his post-match press convention on Tuesday evening, when requested about his captain’s feedback. “We struggled to dominate on the sides today.

“They (Wolves) made it really hard for us, compact, (but) in the first half, I think it was possible to play a bit faster from side to side.  If you play a bit faster than the few times that we did in the first half, our wingers at least have some time to take their full-back on.

“I think that happened in the second half better than in the first half. We had more crosses or penetrated more in the box than we did in the first half, but then it’s also finishing off those moments and picking the right player in front of goal when you arrive.”

This will not be solely all the way down to people. With Liverpool incessantly arising towards low blocks this season, taking an age to get the ball to Salah and Gakpo means they’ve much less area to work with.

The eye check additionally factors to an absence of attacking patterns designed to carve open cussed defences. Wingers profitable their one-on-one battles and having the ability to beat a person is a part of it, however so, too, is crisp, incisive, progressive passing, performed a lot faster than Liverpool are managing.

Key to that is the rising significance of Florian Wirtz.

As he has adjusted to the Premier League since his summer season switch from Germany’s Bayer Leverkusen, he has develop into the difference-maker from open play, however then got here the again damage within the warm-up at Forest every week and a half in the past that has prevented him from taking part in since.

Taking their previous three league away video games, evaluate Liverpool’s first-half efficiency towards Sunderland with Wirtz within the staff to these at Forest and Wolves with out him. Despite not scoring, they racked up an xG of 1.22 in Sunderland, however it was a lot decrease towards Forest (0.07) and Wolves (0.26).

Excluding penalties, in first halves to date this season, Liverpool have solely registered an xG above 1.0 in seven of their 29 league matches. At the identical stage final season, that they had finished so 11 instances. Similarly, they’ve registered an xG under 0.5 on 12 events, in comparison with eight a yr in the past.

It will not be all about use of the ball, both.

Under Slot, Liverpool’s excessive press had dropped off final season, however the staff’s tendency to retreat right into a passive mid-block feels extra prevalent than ever. Their skill to win possession within the opposition attacking third is notably decrease this season, much more so than in 2024-25.

It isn’t any coincidence that Liverpool’s purpose at Wolves got here from a excessive turnover, when Salah intercepted Jean-Ricner Bellegarde’s unfastened move. These usually current the most effective possibilities to attain as a result of the opposition are out of their defensive form.

They have missed the relentless vitality of summer season departure Luis Diaz and Szoboszlai, when he has been used elsewhere within the staff due to accidents, to steer the press. Neither winger has been efficient sufficient and the shortage of solidity supplied by midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch from behind has made it too simple for opponents to play by way of their press.

Teams usually tend to go lengthy to bypass any press, however it feeds into the concept Liverpool can’t construct momentum or inject depth into the sport in a approach that they used to. Out-of-possession work price would feed into larger velocity on the ball.

Liverpool’s latest upturn in type has been dominated by set-piece objectives, and they’d have scored one other on Tuesday had Gakpo not by accident taken the ball away from Jones.

Scoring from dead-ball conditions will solely get them to date, nonetheless.

If Liverpool can’t determine a strategy to enhance the depth of their assaults and develop into extra artistic from open play, a top-five end, and the Champions League qualification for subsequent season it ought to convey, feels removed from sure.