Liverpool ended a tumultuous Premier League campaign by mathematically securing a return to the Champions League, yet the 60-point haul—the joint-lowest ever for a side qualifying via league position—feels less a triumph and more a glaring warning. On a sunlit, emotional afternoon at Anfield, the farewells to Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson overshadowed a drab draw with Brentford, symbolising the end of an era and the immense rebuilding job facing Arne Slot. The Dutchman’s second season in charge has laid bare deep-seated issues, with a feeble title defence, fan insurrection, and a style of play that has drained Anfield of its fear factor.
When Slot arrived from Feyenoord in the summer of 2024, he spoke of an energised, possession-heavy blueprint inspired by Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp—a style he felt was the only way at a big club. His debut season delivered in stunning fashion: Liverpool romped to the Premier League title, losing just two matches before the trophy was secured in April 2025. They averaged 2.4 points per game, mastered game management by winning 21 of 23 when scoring first, and controlled matches with measured possession. It was not 'heavy metal' football, but it was effective and, at the time, widely praised.
The fall-off in 2025-26 has been dramatic. Liverpool lost 12 league games and 19 across all competitions, conceding more goals than in any other 38-game Premier League season. Their points-per-game average plummeted to 1.6, and the side often looked bereft of the energy and risk-taking that Slot himself had promised. Anfield witnessed repeated scenes of supporters heading for the exits early, and the team was booed off on several occasions. Captain Virgil van Dijk did not hide the toll: “I mentioned it many times, this has been the most challenging year in my career,” he told Sky Sports. “It's tough to take, and tough to go through that as a team but we are Liverpool and we come out of it stronger.”
Perhaps the most damaging moment came when Salah, the departing icon, publicly called for a change in the team’s style of play. Slot attempted to downplay the remarks, but the optics were damning. Fan discontent has been simmering all season, and the brittle relationship between the manager and the fanbase is now a central plotline. Slot himself acknowledged the deficiency: “In my opinion, it should not always be judged on the amount of trophies you win, it should also be judged on the fact of how you let your team play,” he said in January. He has since admitted that he hasn’t liked a lot of what Liverpool have produced this term.
Fundamentally, supporters want a team that fights to win every game, as Slot alluded to in his first interview. Instead, the football has been stale, with the second‑highest average possession in the league (59.4%) yielding little penetration against deep‑lying defences. The emotional and physical toll of Diogo Jota's tragic passing, coupled with a rash of injuries, offers some mitigation, but the underlying metrics are alarming. Slot’s side managed to clinch a top‑five spot only because the chasing pack stumbled equally badly, leaving Liverpool with the lowest points total for any English Champions League qualifier to date.
Looking ahead, Slot has tempered expectations for the summer window. “There will be a little transition, not as drastic as last season,” he revealed, referring to the £450 million spend that reshaped the squad a year ago. With Salah and Andy Robertson departing, igniting the attack and replacing left‑back leadership are urgent priorities. The club’s early shortlist for a wide forward includes RB Leipzig’s Yan Diomande, PSG’s Bradley Barcola, and even Jarrod Bowen of relegated West Ham United, though sources caution that those are preliminary targets.
Equally critical is unlocking the partnership of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz—the two most expensive Premier League signings of all time—who have shared the pitch for a meagre 618 minutes this season because of fitness and form issues. Defensively, Liverpool have been alarmingly open. Right‑back was a revolving door with six different starters, while Ibrahima Konaté struggled for consistency and the all‑conquering Virgil van Dijk, despite playing every league minute, is no longer at his prime. Full‑backs Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong must elevate their games, and with goalkeeper Alisson linked to Juventus, new leaders are needed. Dominik Szoboszlai has begun to step up, but Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch have fallen well short of their title‑winning levels.
Slot’s own position, meanwhile, remains secure for now. He reiterated earlier this month that he has “every reason to believe” he will be in charge next season, and the club’s pursuit of Etienne Reijnen, his former assistant, signals an investment in his coaching structure. Liverpool’s hierarchy, led by FSG, have historically been patient with managers, and the credit from the 2025 title still carries weight. Still, the manager’s contract expires in the summer of 2027, and a poor start to the new campaign would swiftly turn the murmurs into a clamour for change.
The players will head to the United States for a pre‑season tour after the World Cup final in July, with Slot under no immediate pressure from the board but carrying the burden of a fanbase that has grown restless. He believes that if the club gets the signings it wants, Liverpool can compete at the top again. The capture of Champions League football might offer breathing room, but it could equally prove a red herring if the underlying decline is not arrested.
As one chapter closes with the exits of Salah and Robertson, the next will define Slot’s tenure. He must rediscover the energy and bravery that made Liverpool champions, re‑engage a disillusioned support, and turn Anfield back into a fortress. Failure to do so would confirm that this season is not a blip but the start of a prolonged slide—a risk that lingers over Merseyside as the summer begins.
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.
