Liverpool brought the curtain down on their 2024/25 season with a game against Crystal Palace on Sunday.
With the Reds long since confirmed as champions, it was yet another match in which the result was completely irrelevant to Liverpool’s campaign.
And, just as they were against Chelsea, Arsenal and Brighton, Liverpool had the look of a team very much on the beach.
Barely eight minutes were on the clock when some woeful defending allowed Ismaila Sarr to slot past Alisson Becker and put Palace 1-0 up.
From there, Liverpool huffed and puffed but struggled to break down a resolute Eagles defence.
And as he watched on from the commentary box, former Reds defender Jamie Carragher suggested the performance proved exactly why Liverpool are trying to sign Florian Wirtz.
Photo by Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Photo by Ulrik Pedersen/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Liverpool show lack of creativity
Having allowed such a sloppy goal early into the game, Liverpool were always going to be faced with a stiff Palace defence.
The Eagles won the FA Cup two weeks ago by scoring early and then sitting in, were given the chance to employ that exact blueprint at Anfield as well.
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Tasked with breaking them down, Liverpool resorted to far too many crosses into the box, with Palace largely dealing with them well. Despite the tactic not working, the Reds were lacking in ideas of how to mix things up. And according to Carragher, the dearth of creative ideas highlighted the need for a player like Wirtz.
“That’s one of the reasons Liverpool are looking to spend big money on Florian Wirtz from Leverkusen,” said the Liverpool legend after watching yet another unsuccessful cross easily dealt with.
READ MORE: David Ornstein provides update on Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez joining Liverpool live from the Anfield touchline
Asked what Wirtz’s arrival could mean for Dominik Szoboszlai, Carragher suggested that the Hungarian may not be the one who loses his place in the team.
“Listen, I’ve been critical of Szoboszlai in that I do think he lacks that creativity, scoring goals,” said the pundit. “You wouldn’t want to lose his athleticism from the midfield, especially because someone like Mac Allister doesn’t have great athleticism. So, he covers that.
“Wirtz can play a number of positions, if he does come. He plays a lot from the left side coming in, it could be that kind of position. Or, Liverpool are playing sort of a false nine today with Luis Diaz, he could do that. There’s a number of roles he can play.”
Liverpool prove they need more than Wirtz
Wirtz is unlikely to be the only arrival at Anfield this summer. The Reds also look like bringing in a right-back and left-back, with Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez the leading candidates.
And as well as highlighting what Wirtz could bring to the team, Liverpool really showed why they need to address the full-back positions against Palace.
Conor Bradley was at fault for the Sarr goal, playing an aimless pass straight to Tyrick Mitchell. On the other side, Andy Robertson was well off the pace again .
It wasn’t all bad from Liverpool, and there are of course mitigating circumstances again, but they clearly need to be better in these three positions next term.