Danny Murphy reveals major issue in Liverpool’s recent performances | OneFootball

Liverpool slump raises worrying questions

Liverpool have stumbled into one of their bleakest openings in recent memory, a far cry from the team that surged to glory only months ago. Four straight Premier League defeats, plus a 3-0 Carabao Cup exit to Crystal Palace, has thrown Arne Slot’s second season into turbulence. Six losses in seven matches paints a grim picture, and the champions who once overwhelmed opponents with power and precision now look unrecognisable.

The most troubling part is not simply the results, but the ease with which opponents have exploited this Liverpool side. The midfield has lost its rhythm and control, defenders appear uncertain, and transitions lack the snap and venom that defined last year’s title charge. Even high-profile summer arrivals have not yet delivered the stabilising influence supporters expected.

Federico Chiesa cutting a dejected figure in that Palace defeat felt symbolic, a moment that captured a collective slump rather than individual disappointment.

Danny Murphy highlights off-ball drop-off

Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has been analysing the collapse, and his verdict cuts straight to the core. Speaking to talkSPORT, Murphy pinpointed the dramatic decline in work without the ball, a trademark of Liverpool sides in recent years.

“Their work without the ball is not tenacious enough,” he said.

Murphy referenced the 3-2 defeat to Brentford, calling it a glaring example of Liverpool losing the physical battles and reactive instincts that once gave them an edge.

“Second in the tackles, second-to-second balls, let’s say, losing headers, getting knocked off the ball too easily, just things we didn’t see last season. It wasn’t just at the weekend, it’s been happening most weeks.

“I mean, I don’t know if you saw the game but do you remember when the right back went on the run from his own right back position and ended up in the left wing position? He’s gone past about four or five players. And I was watching it thinking, that can’t be right. He’s flying past people, people not getting after him or winning the tackle.

“(Against Brentford?) Yeah, it doesn’t matter how good you are with the ball and how many chances you make, if you’re not at it without the ball, and to be at it without the ball, you don’t have to be six feet two and 15 stone and win every tackle. You just have to do the work and not be lazy.”

Physicality problems becoming too obvious

Liverpool’s difficulty off the ball is intrinsically tied to a wider loss of physical edge. New signings like Florian Wirtz have struggled with the pace and aggression of the Premier League, while seeing Virgil van Dijk bullied in duels is jarring for supporters who once viewed him as the immovable foundation.

Photo: IMAGO

Opponents sense vulnerability and have leaned into it. Last season teams rarely sustained pressure against Slot’s side, yet this year Liverpool have been pressed back and hurried into mistakes far too often.

Route back to control

Improvement hinges on rediscovering the hunger without possession and re-establishing midfield dominance. When Liverpool control matches, their attacking carousel comes alive and few teams can live with them. Slot must spark that urgency again, because once Liverpool press and possess with conviction, they transform from wounded champions into a force.