Back 1 year ago, Liverpool were on an 8-match winning streak, opening a period of 15 wins and 1 draw in 16 matches. Every decision of coach Arne Slot seems to have brought results. He succeeded despite not buying many more players and proved to be completely suitable for the squad inherited from Jurgen Klopp.
A year later, Slot's struggle to adapt to himself became difficult. From winning without spending much money, Slot now has to endure defeat after record investments. The Dutch captain has suffered 4 consecutive losses - something that has never happened in his coaching career.
Slot's poor run of form has reached its peak after a defeat to Manchester United at Anfield. Liverpool seemed to clearly feel the change in their fate.
"We are coming out of a season where everything is unbelievable," Virgil van Dijk commented. Liverpool have given a late excuse to Klopp, who has always opposed the view that the transfer market can solve all problems.
After spending £450 million, from a team famous for their clarity in thinking, Liverpool seems to be lost despite having expensive new players.
It would be a mistake to blame the new signings for the decline of The Kop. Especially when Mohamed Salah, who often starts the season with impressive form, loses steam, and the cohesion also declines. In addition, the set pieces reflect the problem of the whole team, rather than just an individual. However, they are still part of the problem, along with the way Slot chose to use them, the time and position.
Milos Kerkez, who was partly responsible for Bryan Mbeumo's opening goal, was a big disappointment but still played in every Premier League match. At this time, bringing Andy Robertson back is completely reasonable, partly thanks to his good relationship with Van Dijk. Meanwhile, Jeremie Frimpong seems to be the third choice at right-back.
Florian Wirtz has been on the bench for three big games against Everton, Chelsea and Man United. Slot sought solidity through the trio of Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, but Liverpool still lost all three of their games together in midfield.
Up front, Slot prioritizes Alexander Isak over Hugo Ekitike, despite the French striker looking sharper against Man United. Slot argues that this is the right time to assess Isak, but the £125m player is largely unknown. As Slot himself admitted, Liverpool created more chances after the changes, even having to trade the balance to launch a total attack.

Looking more broadly, Liverpool's 3 most dangerous strikers this season are Ekitike, Cody Gakpo and Federico Chiesa, not Salah, Isak or Wirtz as many people still think. It is understandable that two of the best strikers in the Premier League last season were substituted, as they lack cohesion and have not fully exploited their potential both individually and collectively.
The "Red Brigade" has lost stability and the habit of winning. After 2 months of a brilliant start to the season, when fans could expect a new squad to unite, Liverpool are now experiencing consecutive losses.