Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
What those who watched Liverpool’s 2-1 loss to Newcastle United at Wembley made of the Reds’ performance.
It is a feeling that Kopites have not been used to in recent times. In their previous four returns from Wembley, there has been jubilation. Three pieces of silverware were yielded along with a comfortable FA Cup semi-final win over modern-day rivals Manchester City. However, as fans made their way back to Merseyside, there was disappointment.
No-one could argue that Liverpool didn’t deserve to suffered defeat at the hands of Newcastle United. If anything, the 2-1 scoreline flattered the Reds. They were well duly put to the sword as the Magpies won their first trophy since 1955. A powerful Dan Burn header and an Alexander Isak strike put Newcastle firmly in command. When Federico Chiesa reduced the deficit in added-time, even the most optimistic of supporters might not have felt a second would arrive. In truth, it would have been unjust.
Still, Liverpool can take the positive that one new piece of silverware will be adorning to the Anfield trophy cabinet come May. The Premier League title is on its way back to Merseyside, with the Reds holding a 12-point advantage at the summit of the table. It would take the almightiest of collapses for Liverpool to allow such a chasm to slip.
But despite Arne Slot set to emphatically win the league title in his maiden season as boss, all is not straightforward. There is a concurrence that Liverpool will need to flex their muscle in the summer transfer window to ensure they continue to battle at the upper echelons of the table in 2025-26. Certainly, the national press who covered the Reds at Wembley feel that way.
The Times’ Paul Joyce has suggested that Liverpool need additions in the forward line and perhaps in midfield. He wrote: “Liverpool had never previously lost back-to-back matches under Slot but, from a long way out, he would have seen this one coming.
“An overhaul of the attack was already looming this summer before this setback, but exactly how extensive that will be remains to be seen. The midfield might need strengthening, too.”
‘The time is fast-approaching for Liverpool to start benefiting from his rebuilding’
The Telegraph’s Chris Bascombe labelled Liverpool’s performance as ‘insipid’. And he agreed with The Times’ verdict and believes ‘high-class recruits’ are needed. The report said: “Edwards and Hughes may privately admit the lingering weaknesses in Liverpool’s squad are no great surprise. Only the most naive will believe the architects of the club’s future have not been thinking ahead. Nevertheless, even they must have been taken aback by how dire Liverpool’s midfield and forward line were against a side they had comprehensively beaten 18 days earlier.
“That Liverpool have gone so deep into the season without that being apparent is credit to Slot’s coaching. Lest we forget, this is a Liverpool team which is on course for 90 points, so there must be perspective when putting a terrible week in the right context.
“They have nine games left to signal the real start of the Slot era with the tangible reward of a trophy. The fact Slot has been working with Jürgen Klopp’s team has been a blessing for eight months. This was a reminder that having reaped the reward of Slot’s vision and methods, the time is fast-approaching for Liverpool to start benefiting from his rebuilding skills with his first round of high-class recruits.”
Fatigue issues
The Independent’s Richard Jolly focused his piece around Slot’s unwillingness to rotate a lot of his squad, with the likes of Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai looking tire - and fringe players have not been used much. It said: “A summer of change could shape a squad more to his liking. For now, though, in [Harvey] Elliott and Chiesa, Darwin Nunez and Wataru Endo, he has four players he rarely trusts to start, much as he admires the Japan midfielder’s professionalism and attitude. The Englishman feels particularly unlucky. The Uruguayan’s Anfield career seems to be nearing an end. The Italian’s future may rest on Salah’s but he presumably cannot endure another season like this.”
The Guardian also suggested that Liverpool appeared to be running on empty. It said: “Newcastle were without the suspended Anthony Gordon, the injured Lewis Hall and Sven Botman. Their form had been erratic. They had not beaten Liverpool since December 2015. None of it mattered as Arne Slot’s team were brought to their knees for the second time in a week.
“Slot had wanted to see a reaction to the Champions League last-16 exit against PSG but it did not come. The league title surely will and that will represent an outstanding achievement. But the impression here was that they were a team working on muscle memory, running on empty.”