Liverpool are sinking deeper into their worst period in history. The 1-4 defeat to PSV Eindhoven was like a drop in the water exposing a very bad system. These are no longer just individual stumbles, it is a structural collapse, where every area on the pitch sends warning signals, forcing Arne Slot to face the reality that his team is losing the image of the reigning Premier League champions.
Liverpool's biggest support for many years - Virgil van Dijk - has now become a concern. The Dutch midfielder once flatly responded to Wayne Rooney's criticism after keeping a clean sheet against Real Madrid. However, 3 consecutive losses with a difference of 3 goals caused all that confidence to collapse.
Van Dijk made mistakes again and it is worth mentioning that those mistakes came from the surprising lack of concentration of a famous leader who was calm. The penalty came from being too caught up in arguing with the referee about a corner kick. Not long after, he was given a yellow card for being late in the morning, clearly showing a state of mental instability.
If Mohamed Salah is being criticized for his decline in form, Van Dijk cannot escape that spiral. The two pillars that have been "commanders" for Liverpool for many seasons have now declined, creating a downward trend in the league. Van Dijk was the leader, the voice of command on the field, but when he himself was lost, the whole system was disoriented.
The problem got worse when Van Dijk's partner - Ibrahima Konate - also fell into an alarming situation. Konate's serious mistake in a simple move that led to his third goal against PSV was just one of many system errors he has continuously made. Even sadder, if Liverpool had successfully signed Marc Guehi in the summer transfer window, Konate would have been on the bench for a long time.
Arne Slot does not seem to believe in Joe Gomez in the center-back position, while Giovanni Leoni has a long-term injury. With a tight schedule, Liverpool do not have much time to help Konate restore his form. This is no longer a temporary form. This was a re-occurring decline that cost the whole team.
The left wing is another worrying problem. Milos Kerkez - the contract expected to inherit Andrew Robertson's left wing is still struggling to adapt. The disappointing performance against PSV has made The Kop fans skeptical about whether he is brave enough to become Liverpool's new left-wing leader.
Kerkez was constantly demoted by PSV players, sometimes even arguing loudly with Van Dijk right in the match. Especially in the second goal conceded by the Anfield team, Kerkez was easily overcome, a primary defensive situation. When his teammates returned just to see Kerkez defeated, people understood why Slot could not fully trust this young defender. Anfield may still support the young Hungarian star, but what Kerkez has shown shows that he has a lot to learn before becoming a solid part of the team.
Salah's decline is also leaving behind serious tactical consequences. When his scoring form plummeted, his lack of defensive support became a weakness that all opponents targeted. What was once seen as the foundation for Salah to save energy to explode ahead has now become a hole in the right wing.
In the second goal against PSV, Mauro Junior passed Salah as if there was no such thing as any obstacles. That has turned the right-back position, which has been eroded by injuries to Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong, into a deadly weakness in Slot's system.
Up front, Alexander Isak is also struggling to prove his worth. Despite being brought on in the last half of the match, he did not make any changes. Isak has only scored 1 goal in 10 matches and his playing style has not met the high-intensity pressing requirements set by Arne Slot.
Meanwhile, Hugo Ekitike quickly gained the sympathy thanks to their endless energy every time they put pressure on their opponents. Arne Slot frankly admitted: When Ekitike has a back injury, the entire pressing system slows down.
Liverpool are experiencing their worst run of form since 1954 with nine defeats in 12 games, losing three games in a row for the first time in seven years by three goals in 71 years, a real crisis! Arne Slot has to face the decline in the form of his pillars at the same time, the gap in his defense, the decline in both wings and the attack lacks explosive points.
