Is Liverpool stuck in Groundhog Day? There is no doubt that the Reds are destined for another difficult season in the Premier League despite changes in the dugout and personnel.
Liverpool are unbeaten after four games but have drawn their other three games, with Andoni Illaura’s system lacking any rhythm or synergy so far.
Where is the sense of urgency that Ilaura showed during her impressive three-year tenure at Bournemouth? Sure, Liverpool have talented players, but they lack the belief and intelligence to make things happen.
With a shaky defense and a sluggish attack, there are plenty of things going wrong at this football club, but the draw against Fulham once again made Florian Wirtz the scapegoat.
Why Wirtz is still struggling at Liverpool
There was excitement in the air when Wirtz left Bayer Leverkusen in 2025 to join champions Liverpool for £115m. Here, FSG showed ultimate desire, signing one of the most talented playmakers in the world.
More than a year later, it’s difficult to determine if Wirtz ever redshirted and made a statement. The Germany international has struggled in a disjointed system that appears to have entered a new era, but regardless, he needs to do more.
The 23-year-old created two chances against Fulham but lacked authority and conviction on the ball. He covered vast swaths of ground every game but was unable to put in the finishing touches to convince Liverpool to pay a nine-figure fee for his signature.
Wirtz, Ryan Gravenborg and Dominik Szoboszlai won four of 17 ground duels. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to conclude that this shaping of Liverpool’s midfield isn’t working – and likely won’t be without some drastic intervention.
The domino effect is adversely affecting the wider community and changes need to be made. With Tottenham Hotspur’s next game coming up in a few days, Illaura may want to part with one of his greatest superstars.
Illaura must give up 16 touches for Liverpool star
Liverpool’s optimism has been dashed. Prior to the game against Fulham, Illaura’s side had defeated Ipswich Town away from home and Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
Alexander Isak played an important role in both games, having been a frustrating step back for Alvaro Arbeloa’s side, isolated and ineffective against Cottagers.
He has had a brighter start to the season than last year, but Liverpool’s £125m signing still hasn’t delivered the world-class performances promised. The plight of Wirtz and his teammates behind him hasn’t helped, but it’s certainly a cause for concern, and his missed shot against Fulham was essentially the pinnacle of an anonymous performance.
Alexander Isak vs Fulham | |
|---|---|
Statistics | # |
Minutes played | 90′ |
Goals + assists | 0+0 |
touch | 16 |
Shoot (hit the target) | 3(1) |
xG | 0.38 |
Accurate passing | 5/5 (100%) |
Create opportunities | 0 |
Dribbling | 2/2 |
ball recovery | 1 |
definition. contribute | 0 |
duel won | 4/6 |
Expected goals (xG) is a metric designed to measure the probability of a goal being scored.
There is no doubt that Isaac is Liverpool’s star striker. He has proven his ability to lead the team in three of the club’s five games in all competitions this season. But after such a lackluster performance, maybe Iraola should make a change or two, possibly moving Cody Gakpo to the ninth spot on Tuesday.
Elora couldn’t put himself and his team in the same category. Liverpool need options and Gakpo’s strength and instinctive finishing must be put to good use in the coming months.
The Dutchman must lead the charge in Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup tie against Tottenham Hotspur – especially after nearly joining the Lilywhites this summer.
Overall, Isaac only touched the ball 16 times at Anfield. About once every five minutes on average. A forward shouldn’t be measured by how often he touches the ball, but even so, it’s understandably worrying when a so-called world-class striker misses goal-scoring opportunities and fails to gel with his teammates.
Wirtz, Isak and Bakola are Liverpool’s own group of attackers who are worth more than £300m. The reality is that Illaura still has a lot of work to do before he can say he has got players like this dancing to the right rhythm.