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Murphy has questioned a Chelsea transfer decision | Getty Images
Liverpool have frustrated for much of the season with Danny Murphy picking out two players who haven’t been good enough.
What must worry Liverpool fans, is that the defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers was barely a surprise. It is the sort of result that has blighted their season.
Two step forwards and one step backwards has been the moto of the season, or one step forward and two backwards depending on your perspective. The pressure on Arne Slot never seems to be one bad result away even after a run of positive performances with the Reds boss consistently having to justify his position as manager. Despite a record transfer spend in the summer, questions have been abundant in terms of tactics, team selection and the quality of the new recruits who have replaced title winners.
Danny Murphy questions Liverpool signings
Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy, when asked about whether or not Slot has fixed his old team or if it is still deficient on TalkSPORT, he said: “Well, you've got to say it is deficient. I mean, they're so inconsistent within the same game at times. I saw that against Forrest somehow.
“They sneaked the win after a disastrous first half performance, but they lacked intensity, urgency, creativity. It was bizarre in some ways how they could start the game so poorly. And then you think, okay, half time, they're going to get a rocket and come out. And they did a bit better, made a couple of chances, but still nowhere near. They lost composure, calmness that we saw last season. No organisation, where's the leadership gone?
“The new signings apart from Ekitike, I know Wirtz is out injured and he's had a pick-up, but full back areas, problem. Frimpong is not as good as Trent. Kirkez can't do what Robertson can do.” It is still early days, however, the full-backs who Slot has tried to move on from used to play over 50 games a season with a staggering level of consistency, a level that the summer signings have yet to hit.
Slot lowers Liverpool expectations
Slot, having had aspirations of winning the Premier League title, is now having to re-think his ambitions, via the club’s official website: “My expectations have changed throughout the season because I expected more from us than where we are fighting for now. But it’s another setback and we didn’t help ourselves with this result, not at all. But there are still eight [Premier League] games to play so we are coming closer and closer to the end and then dropping points in a game where it’s absolutely not necessary if you look at the run of play... it wasn’t that we played so great, I’m not saying that, but if we play this game in this fashion 10 times I don’t think we will lose 10 times.”
What can’t be denied, is that Murphy is right, Liverpool are significantly worse than they were last season and doubts about Slot’s ability to turn the corner are more than justified.
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