Blueprint for a Liverpool FC Revival: The Plan to Fix the Reds’ Struggles in the Premier League and Europe

From Glory to Growing Pains

A few months ago, Liverpool lifted the Premier League trophy and looked like a team reborn under Arne Slot. Fast, fearless, and fluent — the Reds were back on top of English football.

Fast forward to autumn 2025, and the mood has shifted. The energy that fueled last year’s title run has been replaced by hesitation and inconsistency. Liverpool’s performances in the Premier League and Champions League have exposed cracks in chemistry, structure, and confidence.

They aren’t a bad team — far from it. But they look like a great team still trying to remember who they are.

Results That Tell a Story

The results say it all.

• Premier League: Liverpool sit 4th, already dropping points in games they were expected to dominate. A 1–2 loss to Manchester United at Anfield — their first home defeat to United in nine years — was the clearest sign something isn’t clicking.
  

• Champions League: Two games in, and the Reds have just 3 goals scored and 3 conceded. Possession remains high (around 59%), but the output isn’t there. Crossing accuracy sits at just 27%, and only 32 passes have reached the penalty area.

The stats paint a picture of control without conviction — Liverpool can keep the ball but can’t land the knockout punch.

The New Faces: Talent Meets Turbulence

Liverpool’s summer spending spree made global headlines. In came Alexander Isak (£125 m), Florian Wirtz (£116 m), Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, and Hugo Ekitiké. On paper, that’s an attacking dream.

But in reality? The puzzle pieces haven’t clicked yet.

Slot’s Liverpool look caught between two identities — the aggressive, pressing powerhouse of Klopp’s era and the tactical, possession-based system Slot prefers. The result has been confusion on the pitch.

Isak has struggled to find service. Wirtz, a creative magician at Leverkusen, looks like he’s still learning the tempo of English football. And Frimpong’s attacking instincts have sometimes left space exposed in transition.

It’s early days, but right now, the chemistry that made last season’s side so ruthless feels diluted.

The Numbers Behind the Nerves

Liverpool’s decline isn’t about effort — it’s about execution.

Let’s break down where the numbers hurt most:

• Ball recoveries: Down to 36 per match (one of the lowest among top-four contenders).
  

• Crossing accuracy: Just 27.46%, a steep drop from 35% last season.
  

• Passes into the penalty area: Only 32 in the Champions League so far — showing a lack of direct threat.
  

• Blocks per match: Only 4, highlighting softer defensive resistance.
  

• Goals scored: Just 1.5 per game across competitions — a clear downgrade from their 2.3 average in 2024-25.

Liverpool still look like they want to dominate, but the precision that once defined their play is missing.

Comparing to Last Season: What’s Changed

Last season’s Liverpool were a symphony. Every player knew their part — from Mac Allister orchestrating the rhythm to Díaz and Salah attacking the flanks with synchronized chaos. The backline pressed high, the midfield covered intelligently, and transitions were lethal.

This year, the sheet music has changed.

Key departures (including the loss of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s creativity from deep) and an influx of new personalities have disrupted the harmony. Arne Slot’s tactical evolution — emphasizing control and buildup — requires time. But the Premier League doesn’t wait.

As one analyst put it: “Liverpool look like they’re between two versions of themselves — the machine they were and the team they want to become.”

Tactical Fault Lines

Here’s where the Red machine is leaking oil:

1️⃣ Defensive Transitions: Opponents are finding joy on the break. Liverpool’s full-backs push high, but the recovery shape isn’t fast enough, leaving spaces behind Frimpong and Kerkez.

2️⃣ Midfield Gaps: Without a consistent pivot pairing, the midfield sometimes looks flat. Mac Allister and Szoboszlai can both dictate play, but neither naturally shields the back four.

3️⃣ Final-Third Chemistry: The front line isn’t linking fluidly. Too often, Isak and Salah make runs without support, while Wirtz and Díaz drift into similar zones.

4️⃣ Set-Piece Defending: A hidden weakness. Liverpool have conceded three goals from set pieces in their last six matches — more than the entire first half of last season.

How to Fix the Slide

Every transition has turbulence. But the fixes are within reach.

✅ Consistency in the Starting XI
Slot has rotated heavily, perhaps too much. Re-establishing a reliable core — Alisson, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Wirtz, Salah, Isak — could rebuild chemistry.

✅ Simplify the Defensive Shape
Until the new signings fully adapt, Liverpool need to defend narrower and rely less on ultra-aggressive full-back play. Compactness will reduce exposure on the break.

✅ Clarify Roles for Wirtz and Isak
Give Wirtz creative freedom behind Isak, rather than wide or deep. Let Isak stay central — he thrives on direct service, not half-spaces.

✅ Sharpen the Delivery
With low crossing success, emphasis should shift to combinations around the box — one-twos, underlaps, and cutbacks. The goals will come when the structure supports them.

✅ Reignite the Press — Smartly
Liverpool’s famous high press must return in phases. Pick moments — after turnovers, near halfway — rather than constant intensity that risks exhaustion and disorganization.

Where Improvement Must Come Fast

• Left side defense: Opponents are targeting Kerkez’s channel. Tighten rotations between him and the left-sided midfielder.
  

• Central midfield pivot: Find stability — whether that’s Gravenberch or Mac Allister as a screen.
  

• Attacking link play: Build chemistry between Wirtz, Salah and Isak — Liverpool’s creativity depends on it.
  

• Mental consistency: Too often this year, the Reds have switched off after scoring or have conceded late goals. Champions stay ruthless.

The Path Back to Dominance

Here’s the truth: chemistry takes time. Liverpool has a winning culture and this club doesn’t stay down for long.

The talent in the squad is elite. The investment, massive. The mentality, still there — waiting to resurface. Once Slot finds his core XI and the new arrivals fully settle, Liverpool will rediscover their rhythm.

They’re a team in evolution, not decline. But the Premier League is unforgiving — and evolution must accelerate fast if they’re to chase Manchester City and Arsenal come spring.

As one lifelong fan put it on social media after the United loss:

“We’ve been worse, we’ve been better — but we’ve never stopped believing.”

Final Whistle

Liverpool’s struggles this season aren’t about talent. They’re about time. The Reds are building something new, and as history shows, every great Liverpool era starts with a rough patch before the rise.

The signs of hope are there — Wirtz’s flashes of class, Kerkez’s movement, Ekitike and Isak’s finishing. The pieces are just waiting to click.

For now, patience is the word. And when it comes to Liverpool, patience often leads to glory.