Liverpool have now lost nine games in their last 12 as Arne Slot faces huge pressure in his role as Reds' manager
Arne Slot
Arne Slot is under mounting pressure
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Liverpool could be facing a dressing room divide due to the influx of new players the club brought on board in the summer. The devastating theory comes courtesy of former Premier League boss Tony Pulis, who was discussing the Reds' woes on the The Managers podcast with ex-top flight boss Mick McCarthy.
Arne Slot's side slipped to a new low on Wednesday evening as they were thrashed 4-1 by PSV Eindhoven at Anfield. The Reds have now lost nine of their last 12 games with their Dutch coach coming under huge pressure.
Liverpool spent up to £450 million on bolstering their first team this summer. Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, and Giovanni Leoni all joined the club.
Pulis, who spent seven seasons with Stoke City, believes the Reds could be suffering from a new dressing room dynamic, just months after winning the Premier League title.
"I've watched them and there's something missing there," Pulis told McCarthy. "As being a manager, you know as well as I do, things can flip so quickly and people will look at lots of reasons, have they brought the right people in?
"Are the players, who are there, happy with the players they've brought in? Is there some animosity between the players coming in with the players who actually won the league last year, so early and so convincingly.
"Mick, I've worked in it, you've worked in it. Of course people want to know what other players are earning and what they're getting and everything else and that can destabilise the dressing room. Especially with players who have been at that club for a long time and been very, very successful at that club."
Pulis also hinted that a financial disparity, brought on by reports that some of the Reds' newest players are earning more than established stars who have delivered in red shirt, could also be an underlying factor.
Tony Pulis gestures
Tony Pulis has addressed Liverpool's recent troubles
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"Players coming in, if they get the money and they earn it and they deserve it because they're making a difference I think the waves are not so strong", Pulis added.
"But if they come in and they don't look as though they're helping people out and they don't look as though they're making a difference, those waves are going to start rolling over people, and I think that's happened Mick."
Pulis' claims could have a degree of truth, although there's been no confirmed reports of any discord in the Liverpool dressing room.
Liverpool's highest earners are believed to be Virgil van Dijk, with the Dutchman earning a reported £400,000-a-week. Mohamed Salah is next in line with £380,000-a-week after the pair signed new contracts toward the end of last season.
Wirtz is believed to be on £200,000 per week. According to reports, Isak signed a six-year deal worth £300,000 a week, meaning both Isak and Wirtz are now the third and fourth highest earners in Liverpool's squad respectively.
New striker Ekitike is also believed to be on £200,000 per week. This puts the youngster above title-winning stars such as Andy Robertson and Alexis Mac Allister, who are believed to be taking home around £160,000 and £150,000 respectively, as per Spotrac.
Pulis also maintained that Liverpool's spectacular drop-off could simply be down to a lack of effort. He said: "Everybody is into stats today and talks about this, that and the other.
Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool looks dejected during the UEFA Champions League 2025/26 League Phase MD5 match between Liverpool FC and PSV Eindhoven
Liverpool were hit for four by PSV on Wednesday evening
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"Take away the football side of it, it would be really, really interesting to see what distance this Liverpool team are doing week in, week out, yardage and sprints, take the ball away to see what this lot have done compared to last year's team, the team that won the league, that would be my starting point."
The ex-West Brom manager concluded by saying Liverpool's "balance" is an issue, adding: "The second thing I would say is that the balance doesn't look right, from last year where they were so 'up and at them', everybody seemed in unison together as a team.
"They played forward together, they got back behind the ball, they were an excellent side last year. They won a lot of games late on, that show's the spirit and determination. I'm convinced the balance isn't right."
Next up for Liverpool is a Premier League clash against West Ham at the London Stadium on Sunday with Slot under serious pressure to deliver three points.
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