‘Absolute turmoil’ – Steve Nicol fears for Liverpool with frightening 2026/27 prediction | OneFootball

Steve Nicol has lamented the ‘absolute turmoil’ in which Liverpool find themselves going into the 2026/27 season and fears that his former club won’t finish inside the top six of the Premier League.

The previous campaign was a nightmarish one at Anfield, with the then-champions slumping to a fifth-place finish and falling over the line for Champions League qualification, a decline which cost Arne Slot his job and prompted the appointment of Andoni Iraola.

Although the Reds won two of their first three pre-season games, a spate of injury concerns (especially in defence) and a lack of new first-team signings since landing Victor Munoz in mid-June doesn’t bode auspiciously for the next nine months.

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Nicol fears Liverpool will drop out of top six this season

Nicol couldn’t help but feel relieved that Liverpool’s opening Premier League fixture under Iraola is against a Newcastle side currently without a head coach after the departure of Eddie Howe, citing those two as the biggest crisis clubs in the division at present.

The former Reds defender told ESPN FC: “I’m glad it’s Newcastle [up first], because I think they’re probably the only team in a worse mess than we are.

“It’s going to be an incredible game, because I’m not quite sure who’s going to play for Liverpool or for Newcastle. Both teams are in absolute turmoil right now.”

When presenter Dan Thomas pointed out that LFC are the bookies’ third-favourites to win the Premier League this season, Nicol retorted: “That’s absolute nonsense. They’re not favourites to be in the top four right now.

“In fact, right now they’re not favourites to be in the top six. There are easily six teams in a better position right now than Liverpool are.”

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Could Nicol’s chilling prediction come to pass?

Arsenal and Manchester City are understandably many people’s favourites to slug it out for the title once again, but what of the contenders for Champions League qualification? Are there multiple teams in a better position than the Reds to finish inside the top four (or five, if England gets an extra place again)?

Manchester United have astutely replenished their midfield, while Chelsea have also strengthened under Xabi Alonso. Aston Villa may have lost a couple of key players, but they’ve consistently excelled with Unai Emery in charge. Even Tottenham Hotspur – who’ve been very busy in the market – could be a very different beast under Roberto De Zerbi.

(Photo by Daniel Bartel/Getty Images)

A top-four finish and closing the gap to the title contenders is still a reasonable expectation for Liverpool this season, although competition for the Champions League places is likely to be a lot stronger than it had been last term.

Nicol’s fears over a lack of summer recruitment at Anfield and uncertainly over how the current squad will perform – especially amid a glut of injuries – aren’t unfounded, and there may be plenty of Reds supporters equally apprehensive over the state of affairs going into the new campaign.

Richard Hughes has four weeks to properly back Iraola in the transfer market and provide him with a squad capable of discernibly improving upon 2025/26, and then it’s up to the head coach to get the best out of the players at his disposal.

A mood of trepidation this close to the new season is understandable, and we can only hope that the new boss is able to make the best of what he’s got and begin his Liverpool reign with a series of strong results.