Liverpool fans may have to accept season of transition as results nosedive | OneFootball

Liverpool Face Harsh Lessons in Arne Slot’s Second Season

Istanbul setback highlights deeper concerns

Liverpool’s Champions League defeat to Galatasaray was more than just another bad night in Europe. Fireworks outside the team hotel were disruptive, but the bigger noise came inside the stadium where Arne Slot’s side slipped to a second straight loss. The Premier League champions remain top of the domestic table, yet their frailties are becoming harder to ignore.

Slot, who guided Liverpool to the title in his first season after succeeding Jurgen Klopp, now faces the type of turbulence every new era encounters. A summer spend of nearly £450m brought glamour signings, but also questions of balance.

Photo: @LFC on X

Star recruits struggle for impact

Alexander Isak’s British record £125m move from Newcastle United has been followed by a struggle for fitness, while Florian Wirtz, signed from Bayer Leverkusen for £116m, is still finding his rhythm. In Istanbul he was peripheral again, cutting a frustrated figure despite flashes of quality.

Tactical missteps and lost control

Arne Slot is admired for his clarity of approach, but his decisions in Istanbul faltered. Mohamed Salah was left on the bench until the 61st minute, a move that backfired as Galatasaray had already seized control. The reshuffle that saw Dominik Szoboszlai forced into defence also ended badly, with the midfielder conceding the penalty that Victor Osimhen converted.

Slot admitted afterwards: “We are not so far off the level shown last season. This is sometimes what the schedule can bring, Galatasaray is not a simple game. We now play Chelsea away, a difficult game.”

Signs of a delayed transition

Last year Liverpool looked assured and composed. This season they have conceded leads, relied on late goals, and managed only two clean sheets in ten matches compared with six at the same stage a year ago. The aura of control has slipped, even if Slot urges patience.

Daniel Sturridge summed it up: “When you look at the way they’re playing right now they’re not the same team as last year. You can see the chemistry is not right at this present moment, but they have plenty of time to get it right. It’s not panic stations.”

For Liverpool, the journey under Arne Slot is far from derailed, but Istanbul may yet be remembered as the point where the easy narrative of seamless success gave way to the harder work of transition.