"Hindsight offers a few portents, such as the extent of last summer's upheaval and Arne Slot's insistence that it was a necessary response to Liverpool's form towards the end of last season. It was strange to hear a title-winning coach in effect play down his team's achievement. There was also the tragic death of Diogo Jota to deal with. Only Jota's teammates and colleagues know the toll that has taken on them individually."
"But when the transfer window closed on 1 September with the 125m signing of Alexander Isak, taking the summer spend to almost 450m and expectations through the roof, the question asked was whether Liverpool would clean up given the resources at Slot's disposal. Here was a team that coasted to the Premier League title by 10 points and with four games to spare, strengthened by the biggest spending spree in Liverpool's history."
"Isak, 116m Florian Wirtz, 79m Hugo Ekitike et al were signed to upgrade strong performances into more emphatic victories and improve the challenge to Paris Saint-Germain, not to produce Liverpool's worst run in 71 years of nine defeats in 12 games and a campaign heavy on mediocrity. It is revisionism to claim otherwise."
"Critics look at the splurge on signings, the endless conveyor belt of talent, the apparent instability, the dissenting fanbase, the managerial churn. Put it all together and perhaps it makes sense that Chelsea may need to downgrade their target from snatching European qualification to finishing in the top half. Then again, it is not so long ago that it seemed they had cracked it, last summer's triumph in the Club World Cup followed by a run that had some people calling them title contenders at the end of November."
Liverpool’s summer changes were framed as a necessary response to late-season form, alongside the tragic death of Diogo Jota. After the transfer window closed on 1 September, Liverpool’s spending reached nearly 450m, including Alexander Isak for 125m and other high-profile signings. The expectation was that these additions would turn strong performances into more emphatic wins and improve the challenge to Paris Saint-Germain. Instead, Liverpool suffered nine defeats in 12 games, producing their worst run in 71 years and a campaign marked by mediocrity. Chelsea’s season is viewed through skepticism about whether their project can work, with concerns about spending, instability, fan dissent, and managerial churn.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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