Liverpool fans spent the winter worrying about a lack of defensive reinforcements; now, Arne Slot has admitted the squad is ‘vulnerable’ in key areas as the fixture list intensifies.
Jeremy Jacquet was the only first-team signing, and he won’t move to Anfield until after the 2025/26 season.
Following the Jacquet deal, Danny Murphy and Jamie Carragher suggested Liverpool should have signed another defender, while fans vented their anger at FSG’s transfer approach earlier this year.
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Curtis Jones in action during Liverpool's UEFA Champions League match against PSV Eindhoven at Anfield.
Credit: Gaspafotos/MB Media/ Getty Images
These concerns and frustrations have been proven very valid due to the mounting injury woes at Anfield.
Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni are ruled out for the remainder of the campaign, while Jeremie Frimpong remains sidelined, and Dominik Szoboszlai missed the Sunderland win due to suspension.
Arne Slot on Liverpool’s squad depth problems
The latest problem came in said fixture, when Wataru Endo was forced off on a stretcher.
Now, speaking about Endo ahead of Brighton, Arne Slot highlighted the vulnerability of Liverpool’s squad in multiple positions, not just right-back.
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He said, as per the BBC: “Don’t forget that he is a good centre-back and a good midfielder as well. If you look at the number six and two centre-back positions, we are quite vulnerable in there as well, if something happens.
“So let’s try to make sure the players we have stay fit now.”
While fans may blame Slot for a lot this season, there is little he can do about injuries.
However, such weak cover could have been easily avoided if FSG had just taken a slightly different approach to the market.
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Jordan Henderson of Liverpool lifts The Emirates FA Cup trophy after their sides victory during The FA Cup Final match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Wembley Stadium
Photo by Naomi Baker – The FA/The FA via Getty Images
FSG long-term planning is a big risk for Liverpool
While FSG have made Liverpool somewhat more successful during their ownership, this constant desire to stick to long-term plans and never pivot is frustrating.
In January, the Reds did not sign Marc Guehi over wage demands, yet they were more than happy to go and spend £60m on an unproven Premier League talent that won’t join till later this year.
It’s not like these issues have just come about in the last week or so, either.
Liverpool’s right-back issues have been a problem for a long time, and it’s a similar story at centre-back, with Leoni injured since August.
In midfield, Slot has had to rely heavily on Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister, with Curtis Jones the only natural cover.
For a side that should have been competing for the title this season, that’s just not enough depth.
Liverpool are going to need to recruit in the summer anyway, and given all the squad problems this term, it remains baffling that no senior players moved to Merseyside in January.
But for whatever reason, Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards do not pivot, no matter what is actually happening in the present. It’s incredibly frustrating.
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