Liverpool's line-up and style against Galatasaray could define a Slot rebirth... or confirm the malaise

The fixture list sometimes does this. Liverpool barely had time to process last Tuesday night’s defeat to Wolves before remembering that they would be returning to Molineux again, this time in the FA Cup.

Liverpool got that immediate chance to respond, winning the cup tie 3-1, but the next test arrives just as quickly with tonight’s Champions League round of 16 first leg away to Galatasaray.

For Liverpool supporters, the Wolves win brought an element of relief (later they’d be handed the toughest possible draw). But the way it arrived – only after the pace and intensity increased dramatically in the second half – may actually reinforce the underlying concern.

The rematch highlighted once again that Liverpool’s problem this season does not appear to be talent, injuries or even bad luck. It looks increasingly like a tactical one.

What has gone wrong at Liverpool?

Arne Slot.

All right, that is the short version and doesn’t completely answer the question but is a major part.

And before anyone sharpens the knives, this is not personal. I like the guy. Slot actually handled one of football’s most delicate transitions rather well when he first arrived at Anfield. Following Jürgen Klopp was always going to require diplomacy as much as tactics. Klopp’s legacy is enormous. He reshaped the club’s identity, built a team that pressed like a pack of Canis lupus, and attacked with breathtaking speed and skill, delivering the trophies and returning the stature Liverpool had spent decades chasing.

Slot understood the moment. His tone was measured, his public messaging calm. No declarations about revolution. No dramatic “this is my team now” gestures. Continuity was the watchword.

For a while it worked. There was even a period where Liverpool seemed to land in a sweet spot between Klopp’s intensity and Slot’s preference for structure. The team still pressed, still attacked quickly, but with a little more control in possession.

Then, gradually, the dial kept turning.

The pressing softened. The tempo slowed. The perceived control increased.

And somewhere along the way, Liverpool lost a little of the chaos that used to make them terrifying.

The problem with controlling everything

Possession itself is not the problem. Plenty of great teams dominate the ball.

The issue is what happens after Liverpool escape the press.

Players like Alexis Mac Allister, Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch (future sorted) are excellent at breaking through midfield pressure. Under Klopp, and early Slot, those moments often triggered a direct attack. Liverpool would surge forward, defenders scrambling backwards, the stadium rising with the momentum of it all.

Now the reaction is often the opposite. Instead of accelerating, the ball goes backwards or sideways. The tempo slows. Control is re-established.

And the opposition breathes again.

Defenders reset. Midfields reorganise. The infamous low block appears somewhat ironic given complaints.

Liverpool then spend long stretches circulating the ball around a defense that had already solved the immediate problem. Instead of a more skilful midfielder in possession high up the field, you see a defender or goalkeeper kicking long under pressure. The odds are less favorable that something positive emerges.

Wolves’ winner in the league game a week ago followed a now-familiar pattern. Liverpool had the ball, had territory, had control. What they did not have was sustained pressure.

Control is useful. But control on its own rarely frightens anyone.

Talent masking the real issue

None of this should be mistaken for a squad problem. Liverpool’s talent level remains extremely high. On their day, this group of players can dismantle any opponent.

In fact, that quality has probably disguised the underlying issue. Individual moments of brilliance have secured points that the overall performance did not always justify. The oft-cited ‘champions know how to get the job done’ argument in the early weeks of this season always felt to me like a rather lazy analysis of a concerning situation.

Depth could always be stronger when compared with some of Europe’s financial giants, yes, but that is hardly unique to Liverpool. Against most opponents, the squad should still have more than enough quality.

Which brings us back to the manager and the message the players receive before stepping onto the pitch.

Liverpool team news for the Champions League trip to Galatasaray

Tuesday’s Champions League tie gives Slot an opportunity to show that he’s willing to be braver.

I’d suggested rotation in goal on Friday to keep Giorgi Mamardashvili sharp, but instead Alisson Becker had a relatively uneventful night. Now Slot’s hand has been forced, with Istanbul not known for being the most welcoming.

Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté remain the obvious centre-back pairing, with the full-back positions expecting to see Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong in place. Andy Robertson remains solid – and what a strike on Friday – so could also be considered.

Midfield is where Liverpool’s control-heavy approach is most obvious. Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Alister will almost certainly anchor it with Dominik Szoboszlai offering composure, creativity, and energy... not to mention the free-kick threat.

Unpredictability up top

Further forward, things get even more interesting.

Mohamed Salah - whether due to passing his peak, intensity he’s offering, or the above-summarised Slot effect – has too often been ineffective on the wing this season, dare I say, a passenger. Along with Cody Gakpo – who was a useful backup for the livewire that was Luis Díaz – defenders have had a pretty easy time of it. That was why Friday’s Man-of-the-Match performance from young Rio Ngumoha was so unsurprising for many of us watching on. Other than sharing a nationality with the gaffer, Gakpo has done nothing to deserve a return to the starting XI, but Florian Wirtz’s timely substitution appearance suggests Ngumoha won’t be pushed too hard, too early. The German’s cameo reminded us of his utter class.

The very special Hugo Ekitiké is certainly one of the new superstars and will be back to lead the line.

Let them off the leash

But here’s the bottom line. We can all argue about player selection and the rights or wrongs of specific decisions, be that in-game management or individual mistakes, but there’s clearly a change in mentality before they step across the white line.

Their most exciting moments have rarely come from the carefully controlled spells of possession. They have come when the game becomes messy. When the players push forward instinctively. When the tempo rises and the opposition starts to panic. Those flashes remind everyone just how dangerous this squad can be.

Which raises the obvious question: why are they so rare?

The FA Cup game already provided one small clue. Liverpool only really took control after the tempo increased dramatically part way into the second half.

Now the Champions League provides the next test of whether that lesson will stick.

A little less caution, a little more action please. And a little more of the chaos that used to define Klopp’s best sides.

Because Liverpool do not lack talent. They do not lack attacking players. What they may currently lack is permission.

And if Slot is willing to loosen the reins even slightly in Istanbul, Liverpool might start to resemble the machine supporters still remember. And that could be enough to signal a tactics change for the run-in that still offers so much. If the Dutchman sticks to his ways, however, the loyalty that comes with being in charge at Anfield is unlikely to last much longer, no matter the title-winning credit in the bank. And there are others waiting in the wings to unleash the potential that is clearly there.

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