No Fight, No Fire, No Plan: Liverpool’s Painful Reality Under Slot

Anfield fell silent as United celebrated. The spark that defined Slot’s title winners has vanished, replaced by confusion and chaos.

I left Anfield yesterday evening with a heavy heart, still trying to process exactly what went wrong. Watching Liverpool lose 2-1 to Manchester United, a side that hadn’t won here in more than nine years, was bitterly disappointing. For large parts, especially that first half, there was no urgency, no drive, and far too much sideways and backwards passing. The champions looked anything but.

First Half: Flat, Lacking Urgency

From the opening whistle, something felt off. United took the lead almost instantly and, instead of responding with intensity, Liverpool seemed content to pass the ball around without purpose. You could almost feel the frustration ripple through the stands each time the ball went backwards instead of forwards. That lack of tempo has become too familiar of late. When you’re defending a title, you need to set the tone, not allow the opposition to settle.

This wasn’t the Liverpool we recognised from last season under Arne Slot, the team that swarmed and suffocated opponents. The pressing was half-hearted, the movement laboured, and the belief seemed to have drained away. The crowd tried to lift them, but the energy on the pitch never matched the noise in the Kop.

It’s a worrying trend. When Liverpool fall behind now, there isn’t the immediate surge, the sense that an equaliser is inevitable. Instead, there’s hesitation. Too much thought, not enough instinct.