Published: Monday, 24 November 2025
We might as well start where we left off a fortnight ago when I said Liverpool were out of the title race. They’d lost five games when we took the international break. I said in my last blog they’d need to be close to perfection if they were going to prove me wrong. They haven’t. They won’t. Six defeats is too many. It is definitely all over now.
Everybody is looking for reasons why. Regular readers of this blog know why. I’ve been talking about the reasons all season so I’m not going into them again. Incidentally, that’s six defeats from their last seven home games as well. This is a genuine crisis. Arne Lost has got deep problems to sort out.
Liverpool’s is turning into the worst title defence of all time. After 12 games they’ve now got a record to rival the worst ever - Blackburn’s in 95/96, Chelsea’s in 2015/16 and Leicester’s in 2016/17.
Someone else in trouble is Daniel Farke. I wonder if any of the decision makers at Leeds are thinking back to the start of the campaign when they considered firing Farke, despite the fact he’d won promotion? They should’ve done. And I’m not being smart now. I said so then.
Farke has got a terrific record getting teams out of the C’ship. He’s done it three times, but he can’t keep a team in the PL.
His record in the big league is awful - just six wins from 49 games at Norwich. And he lost 35 of the 49. You can add three more now from the 12 Leeds have played, but it’s still shocking. It really is. I don’t see how he survives.
Before a ball was kicked I said they’d need to be really good at home to stand a chance of staying up. That’s still the case and Farke might be the man to do it if Leeds decide to stick not twist, but it’s a big call.
It’s not as though they didn’t back the coach last summer - 10 new faces at a cost of £100m plus was a big investment.
Wolves look dead in the water - despite changing coaches, which is why it’s always a tricky decision to make. I think they’re too far back. They needed to beat Palace to have a sniff of a chance and capitalise on the ‘feel good’ factor Rob Edwards arrived with.
A year ago Saints were bottom with four points and never looked like getting out of trouble. I like Edwards and I wish him well but he’s got a job and a half on at Molineux.
Would you pay £100m plus for Elliott Anderson? I’m not sure. Clearly he’s a good player and Forest did a terrific piece of business when they nicked him from Newcastle for £35m. But £100m plus now?
Consider some of the players that have cost that sort of money. Would Liverpool spend like that again on Isak or Wirtz? Ok - there’s time yet for both signings to work out and I’m a fan of Isak, but right now it looks like a lot of money for not very much on both players.
What about Declan Rice? Would Arsenal spend the same money again? Definitely. Now he’s Rice and not Nice - damaging teams higher up the pitch. He’s not the same impactful player when he sits doing ‘Nice’ things.
What about Caicedo and Fernandez at Chelsea? Do you remember Jurgen Klopp stating he thought Liverpool had dodged bullets when they signed for Chelsea? At that time he was probably right - but not now. Well - in Caicedo’s case at least. He’s been fantastic for Chelsea this season. Andy reckons he’s the best in his position now. It’s hard to disagree, but Fernandez is not much more than ordinary.
What about Jack Grealish? Was he ever worth £100m? Not for me. Only 12 goals and 12 assists make that an expensive £100m. And it doesn’t look as though City are getting much back on the deal.
Let’s be honest, there are never guarantees when a club signs a player, but when you’re investing as somebody is going to in Elliott Anderson you’ve got to be careful. Isak and Wirtz prove that.