As it is known, last weekend, in a harsh speech on television after the match, Mohamed Salah said he was unjustly blamed.
At least, that is the Egyptian striker's feeling. And he is not entirely wrong, as many believe Salah is the main reason why Liverpool's chances of defending the Premier League title disappear right before Christmas.
For others, the responsibility belongs to the character that Salah admitted to having "a good relationship", but now "there is no relationship". Although Arne Slot helped Liverpool win the Premier League in his first season in charge, many still believe that he is just taking advantage of the foundation of success left by the Jurgen Klopp era.
However, when he has to really build his own team, Slot is having a hard time. Liverpool have spent the record amount of money in English football - 482.9 million Euros - on 6 new players with high expectations, but the team has not only failed to improve but has also clearly declined.
The Dutch captain constantly rotates the squad, almost changing personnel every match, and even when Liverpool has a series of 2 consecutive wins, the feeling of instability still exists.
Liverpool's problems this season are typical proof of the complexity that makes football attractive. All factors are closely linked together. A small tactical adjustment or change in the left-back position can also affect the effectiveness of the right wing. A season of decline for the main striker could lead to a weakening of the midfield. Or simply, opponents have found a new approach to neutralize a team that was once very strong.
Facing the "bubble" at Anfield, sometimes it is necessary to step back and return to the most fundamental principle. Johan Cruyff once said: "If your player is better than your opponent, you win 90% of the time".
Liverpool are winning much less than last season, and their current squad is also far different from a year ago. Therefore, perhaps the core problem lies in the quality of human resources. Maybe contracts like Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak or other new recruits are not really as good as expected. And that is likely to be the underlying reason why Liverpool are in crisis.
It seems that Liverpool's leadership is too confident in recruiting a series of players for a large fee, typically Wirtz and Isak, without fully considering how they will coordinate with each other on the field. They may see this as Slot's task, and may also believe that somehow, the team will soon play up to expectations from the huge investment of 482.9 million Euros.
However, no matter how important personal talent is, the core is still finding the right type of talent. A group of good players is only really meaningful when they can connect and complement each other.
As Johan Cruyff once said with his own style: "Why can't you beat a richer team? I have never seen a single player score a goal on their own."
