Dave Hendrick: Why Liverpool Squad Shortcomings Were Exposed in Europe | OneFootball

Liverpool’s Champions League Exit Highlights Summer Transfer Priorities

Liverpool’s hopes of a seventh Champions League title were extinguished at Anfield on Wednesday night, as Paris Saint-Germain triumphed in a dramatic penalty shootout. The Reds, who were dominant in the 90 minutes, failed to capitalise on their opportunities, with missed penalties from Darwin Núñez and Curtis Jones sealing their fate.

On The Anfield Index Daily Red Podcast, Dave Hendrick broke down the game in detail, offering blunt assessments of Liverpool’s shortcomings and what the club must do this summer to stay competitive.

Missed Opportunities and Tactical Shortcomings

Hendrick didn’t hold back in his assessment of Liverpool’s performance, stating: “From minute one to minute 90 we were the better team and we should have scored… we should have scored multiple goals and we should have gone through.”

However, he was also quick to acknowledge that PSG dominated the periods of the tie when it truly mattered. “Over the 20 and 10 minutes that was played between the first leg, last night, and extra time, they were the better team.”

He pinpointed Liverpool’s struggles after Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai were substituted, stating: “As soon as Mac Allister went off we lost all purpose and then Szoboszlai went off and we lost all running ability.”

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s injury was another major talking point, with Hendrick describing it as “the biggest blow” of the night, particularly as “he’d really started to take some control of the game.”

Squad Depth and the Need for a Defensive Midfielder

One of the major takeaways from Liverpool’s exit was the urgent need to strengthen the squad in the summer. Hendrick was emphatic about the club’s need for a specialist defensive midfielder:

“Last night should put to bed any claims that we do not need to address our number six position… the lack of defensive awareness, defensive instincts, positional sense, positional discipline, like it was glaring last night.”

He argued that this deficiency was costly in both legs against PSG and that failing to strengthen this area would limit Liverpool’s ambitions next season.

Concerns Over the Attack: Over-Reliance on Salah

While Liverpool have been one of the highest-scoring teams in the Premier League this season, Hendrick was clear that their attack lacks the balance and unpredictability of past title-winning campaigns.

“Nobody is scared of Luis Díaz. Nobody is scared of Diogo Jota. Nobody is scared of Darwin Núñez.”

By contrast, he noted that PSG’s attack featured multiple elite options: “Kvaratskhelia is an A+ player, Dembélé is an A player in A+ form, and Barcola is a B+ to A.”

Hendrick pointed out that during Liverpool’s peak under Jürgen Klopp, they had multiple attacking threats: “Go back and look at the Salah-Bobby-Mané front three—teams were terrified of them because all of them could score and create.”

The over-reliance on Mohamed Salah was a major issue against PSG. “If Salah can’t carry this team, then we have problems,” he stated bluntly.

Big Summer Decisions Loom for Liverpool

With Arne Slot set to lead Liverpool into a new era, Hendrick argued that the club must be ruthless in reshaping the squad.

He suggested significant turnover in the attack: “This summer, we need to bring in three attackers. Salah obviously stays and starts. You bring in two more starters to replace Darwin and Díaz and you bring in a depth attacker to replace Jota.”

Beyond the attack, he stressed the importance of retaining Liverpool’s defensive leader: “Virgil and Mo’s contracts have to get done. You cannot afford to replace them.”

On the broader squad rebuild, Hendrick urged the club to take an aggressive approach: “The mindset of this club needs to change again—it needs to get back to winning major trophies every year.”

Looking Ahead: Domestic Ambitions Still in Play

Despite the disappointment of the Champions League exit, Liverpool remain top of the Premier League and have a League Cup final against Newcastle United this weekend. Hendrick sees the domestic campaign as an opportunity to build momentum.

“Win the cup, go into the international break, then come out and win the Premier League. Let’s get it wrapped up.”

While European glory will have to wait, Liverpool’s ability to learn from this defeat and strengthen in the summer will determine whether they can remain among Europe’s elite in the years to come.