Mohamed Salah looks dejected after the team's defeat in the Carabao Cup Final between Liverpool and Newcastle United at Wembley Stadium on March 16, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Liverpool may be 12 points clear at the top of the Premier League going into April but a difficult week has put into perspective the problems Arne Slot and Richard Hughes will have to solve in the summer.
The Reds exited the Champions League at the round of 16 stage with defeat to Paris Saint-Germain before Sunday's Carabao Cup final loss to Newcastle United at Wembley.
They were problems that exposed the frailties in Slot's squad and has led to debate among fans about the long-term plans at the club. Our LFC jury have their say on events of the past week.
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James Noble (Worcestershire, @james_noble98) - Break is welcome
After Liverpool’s most chastening week of the season by some distance, the international break may not have come at a bad time. A prolonged opportunity to assess the bigger picture – one that is largely encouraging – feels timely.
Matters regarding squad make-up and atmosphere in the stands have been on the agenda in recent days. While such discussions are not always the most comfortable, they’re often productive.
The levels hit for so much of this season make considering restructuring elements of the squad seem odd, from a certain standpoint, but it’s thoroughly natural from another; evolution is a constant requirement. While it’s important not to be knee-jerk, a refresh at left-back, reinforcing an impressive midfield, and additional dynamism and ruthlessness within the forward line, do now appear additionally necessary.
Developments around Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah’s contract situations will, clearly, also impact our approach in the summer.
Atmosphere is another of those conversations that feels almost constant. That’s likely healthy, in many ways – we want standards to be high. From the prevalence of club colours, to the distribution of tickets, there’s always plenty to consider.
On the pitch and in the stands, we continue to do a lot well, though, in my opinion. Retaining a balanced sense of the bigger picture, as we enter the run-in, will be valuable.
Andrew Cullen (Widnes, @brothersred5) - Quality over quantity
It was a defining week of our season, and it didn’t end too well. Two big games and two big exits. We turned up against PSG in the second leg, so I take some comfort from that. Though, we didn’t turn up against Newcastle. Could it have been due to fatigue? Complacency? Missing personnel? Probably a combination of those factors.
It’s easy to say after the game, but it did seem a little shortsighted from Slot not to freshen up the team against Newcastle. Players like Elliott and Endo could easily have been picked to reinvigorate the team.
With the fixture demands on teams, it’s very difficult to persist with your strongest 11 each game. Slot is of course an astute coach, and he will not need reminding of that, but events over the past week do show that to compete at the highest level, for the highest honours, squad rotation is indispensable.
This team is of course a Klopp team, being guided by Slot. Summer investment is key if Liverpool are to maintain their momentum. There has been an unshakable view amongst the fan base that FSG have been sluggish in previous windows. This sluggishness has been explained by not being able to find the right players at the right place. There’s probably some truth in that, but fans will expect, and rightly so, significant investment in all areas of the team in the summer.
We don’t need to bloat the team with further squad players; we need players of real star quality. Our foes will only grow stronger next year, and we will need to meet this challenge by our own reinforcements.
Rhys Buchanan (Aigburth, @Rhys_Buchanan) - Everyone can play a part
The moans and groans that have been aired online around the atmosphere this season have started to feel a little too toxic recently. I missed out on a ticket for the Wembley final, but given we've always been a fanbase that reacts to the highs and lows on the pitch, I can half understand why things might have felt a little flat with the performance the Reds put in against Newcastle.
That being said, I believe that everyone who steps through the turnstiles on matchday has a responsibility to get behind the team and make as much noise as possible, especially heading into the run we have on the horizon.
Rather than pointing fingers online or even grumbling in the stands though, I think people should just focus on playing their own part. Just look at the amazing work that Spion Kop 1906 have been doing game after game this season, or the masses outside The King Harry before the PSG home clash when the sky lit up red.
I'm sure Anfield will be bouncing as we return for The Merseyside derby in a couple of weeks time and a few nervy atmospheres will soon be forgotten as we coast towards a hopefully celebratory summer.