It was two years in the past this week that Jurgen Klopp dropped a bombshell and introduced he was leaving Liverpool.
Klopp’s staff had been dubbed the ‘Mentality Monsters’ resulting from their never-say-die strategy, with high-octane, bang-bang-bang soccer to go along with it. The 58-year-old, who now appears 10 years youthful in his new position at Pink Bull, was all the time going to be a troublesome act to comply with.
Arne Slot made a mockery of that concern in his first yr at Liverpool, successful the Premier League at a canter. Now, although, the Dutchman is feeling a delayed onset of that anticipated hangover as followers’ grumbles mount about his soccer, public persona and, properly, the very fact he’s not Klopp.
Chief among the many issues are how his staff appears to wilt in video games. After the 3-2 defeat at Bournemouth on Saturday, Slot talked about how his facet ‘ran out of power’, a sentiment he echoed in his press briefing yesterday.
Certainly, it was their third defeat by way of a stoppage-time objective this season, after struggling the identical destiny at Crystal Palace and Chelsea, whereas wins became attracts after 90 minutes at Leeds and Fulham. Away groups rising in confidence within the second half at Anfield appears to be one other worrying pattern – as seen with Burnley, Wolves and Sunderland within the final six weeks.
So, are followers proper to moan about health – or is all of it only a little bit of unhealthy luck? Day by day Mail Sport has been at each recreation, spoken to sports activities science specialists and brought a deep dive into the underlying numbers to search out the reply…
Liverpool’s journey to Bournemouth on Saturday noticed their third defeat because of a stoppage-time objective this season
The Reds’ vulnerability to late objectives needs to be of main concern to boss Arne Slot, who has a tough job in managing all of his gamers’ minutes
What’s the ‘pink zone’ – and why are Liverpool all the time in it?
‘It’s protected to say we had a couple of gamers who ran out of power,’ stated Slot at Bournemouth, itemizing three gamers – Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez – as three who had been within the ‘danger zone’.
It is a phrase usually utilized by managers, typically additionally referred to as the ‘pink zone’, and it basically signifies that gamers are at heightened danger of pulling up injured.
Mark Leather-based was a head physiotherapist at Liverpool, Sunderland and varied rugby golf equipment earlier than main a college course in soccer science, and has greater than three many years’ expertise within the area.
And he tells Day by day Mail Sport: ‘The pink zone clearly is the hazard zone, pink for hazard. It doesn’t imply a participant will break down, it means he might break down. Possibly in that recreation or in coaching two days later.
‘It’s a bit like going by a site visitors gentle on a pink sign. Will there be an accident? There may very well be, however there may not. Knowledge will not be essentially the be all and finish all, as a result of some can deal with being within the pink zone for longer than you suppose.
‘If gamers have had earlier histories of accidents, or spiked into that zone after 4 or 5 matches in a row, that may put them in there.’
The problem Liverpool have is that the issues are the options. Theirs is a catch-22 scenario: the most-used gamers would be the ones to pull Liverpool out of this topsy-turvy run of type… however all of them look fairly shot of power and confidence proper now.
Leaving high scorer Ekitike out of the beginning XI may not be a preferred determination, likewise Florian Wirtz lasting the total 90 in simply eight of 30 appearances to this point – however Slot is aware of these gamers are susceptible to breaking down in the event that they aren’t managed.
Jeremie Frimpong is among the gamers Slot admits is within the ‘pink zone’ and subsequently at elevated danger of damage
Hugo Ekitike was not noted of the beginning XI at Bournemouth — an unpopular determination with followers — however the Frenchman may simply break down if overplayed
How unfortunate have they been with accidents?
There’s a theme occurring with unhealthy title defences. Take a look at 2024-25 and Manchester Metropolis, who had Ballon d’Or winner Rodri out for the season and a litany of accidents. It was the identical for Liverpool the final time they tried to defend a title, with availability points wrecking that season.
In line with the industry-leading on-line database on Premier Accidents, 5 groups have extra absentees than Liverpool within the high flight. Nonetheless, their challenge is much less concerning the amount of blows however the severity, and their focus in a couple of positions.
Summer season recruit Giovanni Leoni ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament on his debut and is out for the season, as is Conor Bradley, additionally with a major knee damage. British report signing, £125million man Alexander Isak, has a fibula fracture and is prone to be out till no less than March.
Defender Ibrahima Konate missed the final two video games after the passing of his father and, to compound Slot’s worries, his substitute Joe Gomez now has a hip challenge. Neither skilled on Tuesday forward of the Champions League match in opposition to Qarabag.
There’s a vicious cycle, as Leather-based explains: ‘You might be continually enjoying recreation after recreation after recreation. For those who choose up three or 4 muscle accidents, which may be very straightforward to do, all these are enjoying catch-up and the opposite squad members find yourself enjoying an increasing number of.’
Defender Ibrahima Konate (proper) missed the final two video games after the passing of his father and, to compound Slot’s worries, his substitute Joe Gomez now has a hip challenge
In the meantime British report signing, £125million man Alexander Isak, has a fibula fracture and is prone to be out till no less than March
What do the statistics say?
Liverpool are operating greater than final season, averaging 108.7km per recreation in comparison with 104.5km per recreation, and likewise sprinting extra. This is able to point out the health ranges have really improved, not decreased.
Slot has used 23 gamers within the league and just one staff, Everton, have used fewer. When it comes to XI adjustments match to match, they’re middling, and the identical is true of the typical age of their beginning gamers (26 years and 248 days).
Liverpool are attaining fewer excessive turnovers (outlined as successful possession within the opponent’s defensive third) and are additionally down on direct assaults (vertical assaults beginning in a staff’s personal half).
What does this jargon imply? Although the effectiveness and aggressiveness of their press has decreased barely, their underlying numbers should not too dissimilar from final yr, which signifies Liverpool’s points run deeper than simply not being absolutely match.
However one stat holds extra significance and that’s the seven factors chucked away in stoppage time.
It’s in full distinction to the opening weeks of the season, that noticed them win six of their first eight video games after the eightieth minute, with 4 of the winners coming in stoppage time.
Are the brand new boys nonetheless less than pace?
New signings Jeremie Frimpong, Ekitike, Wirtz and Milos Kerkez have arguably been Liverpool’s greatest gamers in 2026, alongside Dominik Szoboszlai.
However it’s equally truthful to say not one of the new faces are absolutely accustomed to the depth of this demanding schedule simply but. Gamers usually speak about how England is a unique world to leagues on the continent, whereas the grind of midweek European fixtures is new to the likes of Kerkez.
Final week, for instance, Liverpool skilled on Tuesday then flew to France, performed in Marseille on Wednesday, flew again on Thursday, flew to Bournemouth on Friday, performed on Saturday then needed to flip their focus immediately to securing a high eight spot within the Champions League.
After Qarabag, they are going to get well on Thursday, prepare Friday and play once more on Saturday. It’s exhausting for Slot to get any significant time on the coaching pitch and it is a recurring theme, therefore why new signings from overseas leagues usually don’t hit the bottom operating.
Frimpong, it’s understood, has placed on round 4kg of muscle mass since his transfer from Bayer Leverkusen, just like Wirtz. He has been engaged on making an attempt to enhance his already snappy dash pace, practising sizzling yoga and pilates to assist support muscle restoration.
The fixture pile-up means it’s exhausting for brand new signings to turn into accustomed to a league, as Leather-based explains: ‘There may be the precept of overload and that isn’t overuse, it’s principally when you may prepare at a better depth and degree than you’d be required to do in a recreation.
‘You do this in brief blocks then you definately offload them. You are able to do that within the pre-season.
‘By way of the aggressive season you may have little home windows the place you may overload. It principally means you must have constructed the resilience to deal with what you do in video games as a result of you may have performed greater than that. These home windows have turn into virtually non-existent.
‘Soccer has reached capability. Individuals bodily can’t do rather more than they’re doing. It’s play, get well, prepare just a little bit, play once more, get well once more… that’s all you may maintain doing. The worldwide “break”… what are they doing? Taking part in and recovering once more. It’s fixed.’
Florian Wirtz is one in all a number of new signings having to adapt to the depth of life within the Premier League
‘Soccer has reached capability,’ explains physio Mark Leather-based. ‘Individuals bodily can’t do rather more than they’re doing. It’s play, get well, prepare just a little bit, play once more, get well once more…’
So, does Slot share these issues over health?
Kind of – however he has requested for persistence and stated followers would have extra sympathy for him in the event that they understood the issues he faces.
‘If you’re not conscious of the data (round how match gamers are) it isn’t unusual to criticise selections,’ he stated yesterday. ‘But when folks knew the struggles we face, they might be extra understanding of the choices I make.
‘It’s totally exhausting. Particularly with the issues we now have with long-term accidents. If I’d have began Alexander Isak to provide Hugo a relaxation, no fan would complain. Now I’ve to adapt the system or put gamers in several positions. Taking Jeremie off, nobody would complain if I introduced in an identical participant.
‘However I needed to finish the sport with 4 defenders the place solely two had been actual defenders. That doesn’t assist with the narrative. That I’m fully conscious of.
Defender Conor Bradley is out for the season with a knee challenge — Slot insists he have to be cautious to keep away from risking his team-mates selecting up an damage
‘What could be worse, and Conor Bradley is a superb instance, is that if I gave him two video games in a row when he wasn’t prepared for that, then he bought injured. Earlier than folks say I don’t hearken to efficiency workers or medical workers, I’m listening and typically I make my very own selections.
‘There was a participant who was on the pitch and made a objective on the finish of a recreation the place it could have been higher to take him off earlier. It’s not all the time that you simply hear, however you employ your eye.
‘I converse to my gamers and know the way they really feel and if they’re able to go once more for 90 minutes. You’re taking all that under consideration, make a line-up and determine in your substitutions. For individuals who don’t have all the data, that might result in scrutiny. I’m conscious of that.’
