Arne Slot has no excuses - his Liverpool side don't like it in the Premier League trenches
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The Paul Gorst verdict after Liverpool were beaten 2-1 at Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday afterfoonOne of the many problems Arne Slot has is that when you are head coach of a club the size of Liverpool, explanations can quickly start to sound like excuses.Slot may point to a turnaround time of around 60 hours between Wednesday night's visit from Galatasaray and this lunchtime kick-off, over 200 miles from Anfield. All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook pageA 10th league defeat of the campaign sends the club into the international break at a low ebb and it's a feeling that is becoming far too common for fans who are watching a group of players wholly unsuited to the battlegrounds of English football in 2026.Liverpool don't like it in the trenches it seems.Too many of this squad, in fact, are conscientious objectors, who need the right conditions and a fair wind to show a true reflection of their talent.
Despite having so much spent on it in the summer, this, as it transpires, is an ordinary squad who don't really deserve the Champions League on recent evidence.If conceding in stoppage time has been Liverpool's real undoing this season, another horrendous habit they have is giving up easy goals and it happened once more here in the Sussex sunshine.After a bad pass from Giorgi Mamardashvili and even worse control from Ibrahima Konate led to a throw high up the pitch for Brighton, the move ended with Danny Welbeck heading home at the back post. However, the defensive lapses were at least evened up when Lewis Dunk's poor header was pounced upon by an alert Milos Kerkez to make it 1-1.Before then, Liverpool had lost Ekitike to injury and it's been a tough week on that front for the Reds, who had already seen Salah and then Alisson pick up muscle issues of their own.
Slot at least has the luxury of an upcoming fortnight off, but a small squad will only struggle further if those problems don't clear up soon.If last season was notable for how few real issues Slot had to deal with as he and his backroom staff worked tirelessly to keep the treatment room empty, it's been a different story this time out.Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni have been long-term absentees and Isak, who has struggled to reach 100% since his September arrival, hasn't played since December. Even players who haven't joined yet are sidelined, with £60m defender Jeremy Jacquet seeing his campaign ended at Rennes recently through a shoulder problem.And while Slot can point to a lack of availability for too many too often, that cannot absolve him or those who are fit for action of the blame after yet another setback to their Champions League hopes.Liverpool have taken one point from the last nine on offer against rock-bottom Wolves, a Tottenham side who were the butt of the jokes before their 1-1 draw and a Brighton outfit with little to play for.