The ECHO's Liverpool FC correspondent, Paul Gorst, assesses claims that the Reds lack leaders this season
BRIGHTON, ENGLAND - MARCH 21: Dominik Szoboszlai, Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate form the Liverpool defensive wall during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Liverpool at Amex Stadium on March 21, 2026 in Brighton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
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The sight of a Liverpool quartet keeping themselves entertained over an hour before kick-off at Old Traford Sunday afternoon appeared innocuous enough at first.
After a quick pitch inspection, Florian Wirtz, Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones and Jeremie Frimpong were caught on camera playing keepy-ups with the sort of nonchalance that is usually reserved for a five-a-side warm-up on the local 3G pitches.
Viewed sympathetically, one could argue that it showed the Reds players were undaunted by the trip to Manchester United as they cut relaxed figures deep within the bowels of Liverpool's fiercest enemy. Old Trafford? So what.
And had the Reds beaten their rivals for a second successive season in Manchester under Arne Slot, the filming of the four players would have been evidence of a group of players who are at ease on the big stage, free from the pressure of such high-profile fixtures.
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But results will always dictate the colour scheme and Liverpool's subsequent 3-2 defeat to United led to many to later surmise that the tunnel kickabout was further indication of a squad whose mentality is all wrong.
Former Reds midfielder Don Hutchison was the most outspoken of the critics, blasting: "I can’t get my head around the Liverpool players doing keepy-ups inside the Man Utd tunnel.
"Klopp, Henderson, Milner etc etc would never have allowed these sort of standards to drop."
Storms in teacups may have raged with more intensity over the years but, to some at least, it provided a snapshot of a Liverpool squad who are lacking leaders. That wider theme has been recurring of late, particularly since Mohamed Salah gave an insight into his thinking, as he gets set to leave at the end of this month after nine glittering years.
“I remember when I came here first, I think nobody was working before training,” Salah told Sky Sports last week. “I wanted to work before and after training. Then others also worked before training.
“I’m happy about it that new guys came in, saw that Mo came into the building first and went to the gym, so it automatically changed. This is something I’m very proud of. I love this place so much. I want the guys to continue like that. I want the guys to succeed.
“I spoke to a member of staff and also the guys up there, I told them: ‘When I leave you need an example here. You need people to come early and go to the gym. If this doesn’t happen, it will be tricky for the club, because it’s very necessary you put the standards high.'
"People have to come early, people have to come to the gym, people have to look after themselves. And I don't want that to change after I leave or anything else.
"I just want to have that standard at the club because it is very, very important for people to keep winning things. This is one of the main concerns for me."
As typically tends to be the case when Salah speaks, it was an illuminating admission over what he feels needs to be maintained as he prepares to exit stage left after his final match, against Brentford on May 24.
With Salah and Andy Robertson both leaving and influential goalkeeper Alisson Becker - a transfer target for Juventus - potentially joining them this summer, the Reds could be about to lose 1109 games worth of experience.
Given that Liverpool have lost 11 Premier League matches and 19 across all competition, if you include the Community Shield penalty shootout defeat to Crystal Palace in August, supporters' apprehension for the future is understandable.
Post-match interviews with the written press have largely been dealt with by Virgil van Dijk this season with the club captain seeing it as part of his duties on the day to come and speak about the good, the bad and the indifferent.
Only on a handful of occasions has Van Dijk not stepped in front of the dictaphones and his willingness to embrace the task has meant that too many of his team-mates have been allowed to duck out of assessing where things have gone wrong during a chastening campaign.
Szoboszlai, to his credit, has attempted to take on the role more than others in recent months but by and large it is Van Dijk who steps up, shielding many of his colleagues from the barrage of questions as a result.
Asked if he felt it was incumbent of his team-mates to front up with the same he consistently has on Sunday, Van Dijk said: "I am not going to answer that. But for me I will take that responsibility because I feel for this club. I care so much about this club. I know that it has been a tough season but I will always be there in good and lesser good days."
That mentality is what made Van Dijk the ideal candidate to succeed Jordan Henderson as club captain three years ago but as he approaches his 35th birthday - and the final 12 months of his deal this summer - the field of candidates to replace him in that role appears sparse.