It s not big football at all : Why are Liverpool in trouble?

Liverpool now find themselves in a difficult situation. Slott's side have suffered three consecutive defeats - in the Premier League to Crystal Palace (1-2) and Chelsea (1-2), and in the Champions League to Galatasaray (0-1). For the Dutch head coach, this is the first time in his career that he has suffered three consecutive defeats.

But to be fair, it is expected that this Liverpool team is unstable - and the reasons are obvious.

At the start of the season, Liverpool looked unstoppable. They have won seven games in a row - five in the Premier League, one in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid and one in the Carabao Cup against Southampton. However, only one of those wins was by more than a goal difference. Even in the season opener against Bournemouth (4-2), the score was not evened until the 88th minute. A dramatic 3-2 victory over Newcastle followed, with the Reds squandering a two-goal lead before winning in a thrilling 100th minute.

Liverpool continues to dance on the edge of a knife. They narrowly beat Arsenal 1-0 with a late goal in the 83rd minute, defeated Burnley 1-0 with Salah's penalty kick in the 95th minute, and beat Atletico Madrid 3-2 again, although they almost ruined a 2-0 lead again. Even their most recent win - the Merseyside derby against Everton (2-1) - almost threw away a comfortable advantage.

The incredible good fortune will eventually run out, and the team's weaknesses will be exposed. After losing to Galatasaray, Liverpool's former defender Carragher gave a blunt assessment: "I can't see what the top clubs are playing. Liverpool are not playing football now - they are playing basketball. Top teams don't play like this."

Carragher's criticism is not unreasonable. This season, Liverpool have often lost control of the game and struggled to control the rhythm. This lack of composure led to repeated comebacks by opponents, and the problem became increasingly apparent under pressure.

The match against Galatasaray is a typical example. The Turkish team used a 4-4-2 formation to press, cutting off Liverpool's organizational progress and forcing Slott's men to frequently use long balls and quick transitions. Ironically, one of the hallmarks of Slott's early days - higher possession rates than in the Klopp era - has all but disappeared.

Now, Liverpool's character under Slott is facing a severe test as the team fails to maintain control and confidence.

Liverpool's midfield configuration has also undergone tremendous changes this season. Take Grafenberg, for example. Last year, the Dutchman was deployed as a defensive midfielder - and excelled in this disciplined role. However, Sloter has given him more offensive freedom this season.

"We have more freedom in the midfield this year, " Hrafenberch explained. "Last season I was the only defensive midfielder, sitting deep. Now I can go forward and participate in the attack. "

This tactical change has come at a cost. Without a truly defensive midfielder, Liverpool's defensive structure began to unravel. The gaps between the defensive lines became alarmingly large, leaving the back line exposed time and time again.

The defensive statistics speak for themselves. After seven rounds of the league last season, Liverpool only conceded two goals. This year, that number has risen to nine goals. England star Alan Shearer bluntly pointed out after losing to Chelsea: "They defend really poorly. They still haven't found the right balance. I'm worried about Frimpong and Bradley on the right. Slott moved Szoboszlai deeper and almost became a defensive role, and Pushing Hrafenbech to the center. The defense is in chaos. Slott seems to not trust Kyle Kez on the left. Even Van Dijk and Konate look unreliable. "

Slott also introduced a hybrid defense system, switching between zone defense and man-to-man defense. But instead of improving the team, it only added to the confusion. Players often seemed at a loss - unsure whether to mark or cover space.

Under Klopp, Liverpool's defensive formation is one of their greatest strengths: compact, coordinated and built on tacit understanding. Slaughter, by contrast, seems to be searching for a new quality — but has yet to find the right balance. He must find a way to blend a young, dynamic attacking unit eager to press with an experienced backline accustomed to defending high and understanding each other.

Until this balance is found, Liverpool's defense will remain fragile - their crisis is far from over.

Another major issue for Liverpool this season is the integration of full-backs. On the right, Frimpong was brought in to replace Alexander-Arnold - a change that was destined to cause a crisis. But captain Van Dijk insisted that the team's defensive problems did not stem from Alexander-Arnold's departure.

"The problem is not with him, " Van Dyke said. "Trent was an incredible player, but he's gone now. We also played a lot of games without him last year. Of course we were all disappointed to see him leave in the summer - but that's not the cause of our problems. "

Having said that, Frimpong and Alexander-Arnold are completely different players. The Dutchman's explosive, attack-oriented style has yet to integrate into Liverpool's system, with Slott instead often preferring to deploy Szoboszlai as a makeshift right-back. Academy product Bradley also failed to impress - his early season performances looked raw and inconsistent, suggesting he wasn't quite ready for regular Premier League football.

The situation on the left is not much better. New signing Kyle Cates impressed at Bournemouth but is still adapting to Slott's demands and has yet to reach the same level of performance.

Slaughter himself acknowledged the challenges facing the team but insisted that the core principles have not changed.

"I don't think we did anything differently," Slaughter explained. "It's other teams that have changed the way they play against us. Last season, we benefited from some of the foundations that Klopp left - like finishing third and fifth in previous years. The way teams treated us at the beginning of last season was different to when we were top of the Premier League and top of the Champions League group. I saw that happening in The season continues. We just need to find the right response. Last year, set pieces were one of the answers - teams often broke down the low block this way, but this year, there is also the issue of players that Liverpool brought in at a high price and have yet to prove their value. The club broke the Premier League transfer record by signing Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for 125 million euros, and then spent 145 million euros to sign Isaac from Newcastle. So far, both have failed to deliver performances worthy of their worth.

Wiltz became the object of jokes on the Internet. He played 9 times and had zero goals and assists. His only contribution was an assist in the Community Shield against Crystal Palace.

Carragher was merciless in his evaluation: "I think the team has not found the right balance now. Wirtz stands out - but not in a good way. He is not in good shape and is still adapting to the new league. He is still young and has time, but for now I will put him Take out the team so Liverpool can get back to the way it worked last season. Then you can build on that. "

What's interesting is that despite the poor numbers, Wirtz actually impressed in one key area - running off the ball. The German midfielder ranks among the best in the Premier League for sprints without the ball, runs into the final third and number of moves in open attacks.

Slaughter still believes this signing will pay off in the long run. "Bringing in Florian (Wirtz), we're bringing a completely different type of midfielder, " Slaughter explained. "The main reason why we feel it is necessary to do this stems from the difference in goals scored in the first and second halves of last season. We believe his unique qualities can help us solve this problem. "

Isak's situation is slightly different. The Swedish striker's move from Newcastle has become chaotic, leading to tension between the player and the club. As a result, he missed most of pre-season and had to undergo individual training before joining Liverpool. When he arrived, his game was far from his best.

Slaughter warned fans not to expect miracles from him from day one: "Don't expect him to play 90 minutes every game - that's not going to happen in the next few weeks. He missed the entire preseason and now we have to gradually get him back into shape. We signed him not for two weeks, but for six years. So, if you see me subbing him early or playing him for short periods, it's all part of the long-term plan. "

Still, there are signs of progress. Isaac scored his first goal for Liverpool in the League Cup win over Southampton (2-1) and provided an assist in the Premier League against Chelsea. Few doubted that by winter the Swede would have found his rhythm.

However, Liverpool are still a team under construction. Their record-breaking signing has yet to live up to half of expectations, while Slott continues to fine-tune his tactical blueprint. There were bright spots too - Ekitic integrated quickly, Szoboszlai continued to shine in multiple roles and Hrafenbech remained a force in midfield. But overall, the team struggled with overall synergy.

Salah's condition has declined compared to last season, and goalkeeper Alisson has also been sidelined for at least six weeks due to injury - this is another blow to a lineup that is already under pressure.

As the defending Premier League champion, expectations from the outside world are extremely high. Fans demand not only dominance in the scene, but also victory in the result. However, it's easy to forget that this summer Liverpool went through the biggest roster rebuild in the club's history.

Van Dijk said it best: "We know this season is going to be difficult - not just because of what happens on the field, but off it as well. We need to get through it together - players, staff and fans. The past week has been difficult, but we can turn it around. We have to find stability. I There is a lot of noise around us, but we have to stick together and regain confidence. Last year everything was positive - now we are in crisis, so to speak, and this is when we need our supporters the most. For Liverpool, the message is clear: this is no longer the well-oiled machine that Klopp was. Slaughter’s version is still a work in progress—flawed, unstable, but full of potential. The question is whether time and patience will allow it to complete its evolution before the pressure becomes unbearable. There is a long way to go.