Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak backed to play together
© AFP
As English Premier League club Liverpool looks to recover from the rocky start to the 2025-26 campaign, Liverpool legends Robbie Fowler and David James offered their perspective on the current state of the club under manager Arne Slot. In an exclusive interaction with NDTV, both expressed confidence in the club's long-term plan, arguing against the label of a 'transitional period' and emphasising that Liverpool's history shows they afford their managers time. They also debated the tactical challenge of integrating high-profile, expensive strikers Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak into the team's system, before Robbie Fowler closed the interview by reflecting on his unique, special connection with the Liverpool faithful compared to his former teammate, Michael Owen.
Q: What does Arne Slot need to do to lift the mood at Liverpool right now?
DJ: Well, I mean, the easy answer would be winning games of football, because that usually brings a smile to most fans. I think it's difficult to get too drawn into the team selection and tactics, because there's always going to be an alternative view to what's going on at the moment, which would sound compelling.
But what I would say is what Arne Slot has identified already this season: Liverpool are facing a lot more direct balls, a different style of football fundamentally to what they were experiencing last season. And I think for the new players to come in and join a team who are adjusting to a new style of football would always be a little bit more challenging.
However, irrespective of where the results are as we speak right now, there is an opportunity for these results to turn around for Liverpool to start winning games again. And within a short period of time, the whole picture is looking completely different in a very positive way. So, I think that Arne is the coach that can do this, he's definitely got the players that can do it. So, there's no reason for Liverpool fans to be too disheartened at the moment.
RF: Just to add to that, I wouldn't go down the route of calling it a transitional period because I think every club at the start of the season signs players, and in effect, everyone's going through the same transitional period.
You look at Liverpool and there's probably been more players coming into the football club, and they have to get used to the surroundings, they have to get used to the expectations and the pressures of playing for Liverpool Football Club because it is totally different than any other football club. But the due diligence from everyone behind the scenes of the football club-bringing in the right players to get Liverpool performing at a level that it should be for not just now but for the years to come-has been going on for a while.
So, okay, we might not see the fruits of that labour just yet, but I'm sat here and obviously David's sat here and we are extremely confident that Liverpool as a club will be there or thereabouts for a number of years because of the players and the club as a whole.
DJ: Just to back that up, if you look at the signings for Liverpool, like Robbie said this summer, this will be a three-, four-, five-year plan. Since Arne has been there, there will be a three-, four-, five-year plan. If you could put down on the table everything that is achieved in those four or five years, including the Premier League, you would like to add other trophies to that as well and say has it been a successful period of time? I think every Liverpool fan would say yes.
What has happened, in a very good way, is that the Premier League has been secured in the first season. The adjustment that's being made at the moment will only look bad if we don't achieve what we expect to achieve over those four or five years and I think Liverpool will achieve them. In time, as we sit here today, it might not look the rosiest, but in time it will all make sense and people will say, okay, fine, we had to suffer a little bit in order to gain what we expected to gain.
Q: In the Premier League, managers don't get that long. Of course, Arne Slot won the Premier League in his first season, that too with literally no new signings. This season he got a few new signings and then we all know what is happening. Would Liverpool have the courage to give him that long rope, despite the results that are happening this season?
RF: I think you've got to look at the history of Liverpool football as a whole and think they don't change their managers for the sake of it. Given what Arne Slot has achieved last year, he's not a bad manager. He doesn't become a bad manager because he got a few bad results.
Just to reiterate what Jamo (referring to David James) was saying before, there's a work in motion, there's a progress and a progression for the football club to strive on and become this great team and this great squad that we've witnessed over the years at Liverpool. There's been a few adverse results, we know that, but I think Liverpool in general are not one of those clubs who think we need to do something about this pretty quick, because there's a plan in place. Jamo just mentioned there's a plan in place.
Fundamentally, if you're not getting to that plan, or there's no picture in the eyes of everyone, then questions will be getting asked more. Behind the scenes, the club are seeing everything, doing everything and hopefully sooner rather than later the results will be better, because we all want to see a healthy Liverpool. But there's a plan in place.
DJ: I think for Liverpool supporters, and you look at the club and how the club is structured, they should rest assured that the club will be in the right place and whoever's involved in the progression of the football club will be done for the right reasons. As I say, the fact that they've won the title in the first year of Arne Slot is fantastic. But as every player who does well at Liverpool will move on, for one reason or another, the club will still be successful in the long run and that's the main thing.
As I say, Liverpool supporters should be confident that they will always be supporting a side that's going to be challenging to compete.
Q: Now I would like to understand, how do you see Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak playing together, two top strikers bought for a huge transfer fee? Do you see them playing together in the same XI? How do you fit them into the system?
RF: It's a tough question. Obviously, we can all have opinions, whether the manager of Liverpool thinks that's the right one, it's up to him to decide. But this is why Arne Slot is getting the big bucks to make the decisions and whether he thinks going with a two up top or playing with three across the front line is what makes the formation tactics that little bit better.
But it is finding that system or finding a way of playing to bring the two players in. When you think of football now, Isak is probably not up to speed, we know that. Ekitike has probably been one of the shining lights of the players coming in, so he probably does deserve to start ahead of Isak. So if you can't find a way of finding or fitting the both of them into that team or that squad of players on that Liverpool team, we have to try and trust the manager to bring in the best formation and tactics. We'll all have opinions, but ultimately it doesn't matter. We've got to abide with what the manager wants to do.
DJ: I'm a believer that players aren't chess pieces, limited to certain moves and they're only allowed to do those moves. I believe you bring in the players with versatility and capability to adjust. You've mentioned the quality of Ekitike and Isak, and I think that there is definitely an opportunity with a bit of adjustment in the way they play to be able to fit them both in the same side. I don't think that's a problem.
I think the bit that's hamstrung them a little bit this season is the fact that Isak hasn't been fully fit for the whole duration, and therefore the opportunities to get on the training field to make these adjustments haven't necessarily been there, but they will be there. And as I say, at the moment, as we sit here, it might not look as good as it will do in a few months' time. In a few months' time, when you've got both starting games of football, scoring goals in a slightly adjusted role that they might have had before, people will be looking at it and going, yes, of course, this was always available, always capable. So I'm confident that they will do well together, on the pitch together, getting Liverpool goals and winning games of football.
RF: I think that's the awkwardness of having such good players within a football team and a football squad, because you're talking about just them two players and trying to find a system or a way or a formation to fit them in. But let's not forget you've got a Florian Wirtz, you've got a Mo Salah, you've got a Cody Gakpo, you've got other players there as well. So if you're trying to shoehorn players into certain roles and certain positions and certain formations, then do you relinquish your strength in other areas?
So you've got to find that balance and you've got to find the right way of playing and getting the best results for that football club. The manager will know, the manager will have an idea, he'll have a plan of finding that way to play, to fit a system and a formation to suit the football club. It's not just a system to suit certain players. Ultimately, it's all about getting results for the football club and whoever plays has got to come in and do that good job.
Q: Robbie, I wanted to ask a question about your connection with Liverpool fans. A few months ago, Michael Owen said in an interview that Liverpool fans loved you more than they ever loved him. I just want to understand what makes your connection with Liverpool fans so special.
RF: Look, I can disagree with that. I think there's been moments in any player's career where you sort of have a great relationship with the fans. There's been moments in certainly Michael's career playing for Liverpool where the fans would have loved him more. For example, the FA Cup final in 2001, he scored two goals and won us the game. Do you think I was loved more than Michael then? Not a chance. There's horses for courses, there's different roles, there's different routes.
But I think my relationship with the fans is that I'm a local lad. I think a lot of the fans who stood on the Kop or sat on the Kop could see themselves in me, that little local lad who'd come good. I think that's the relationship I had with them. Maybe from a supporter, they didn't get the relationship with Michael because Michael's not from the area. That might be it, but I would disagree with what Michael's saying because there's been many, many fans who still like Michael. Obviously there is.
Some maybe dislike him for the fact that he played for a club we shall not name (a clear reference to Manchester United). That would maybe go against him. But I think Michael's achievements at Liverpool were brilliant and there's been times and moments where he was the best thing in the world.
DJ: Quite literally. Yeah, and that is literally football in a nutshell. You have bad games and not everyone's cup of tea, but if you have good games, you're scoring goals and winning stuff, then you're everyone's favourite. So I think there's been moments where Michael's been top of that tree.
Liverpool David James Robbie Fowler Alexander Isak Hugo Ekitike Football