What Liverpool Need to Restore Their Standards
Looking past any manager debate, the focus is on what historically made Liverpool successful: the city and supporters, elite coaching, inspiration, strong backroom structure, and professionalism, with quality recruitment still vital.
Putting the question of will Arne Slot stay at Liverpool FC, who will replace him if he leaves, to one side, I keep coming back to what made the best Liverpool sides so successful, and what feels like it is missing now.
As a fan since 1978, I have been lucky enough to see plenty of strong teams. When Liverpool were right, it was never just one thing. It was a set of basics that separated us from everyone else.
The club, the city, the supporters
No.1 thing is the city, the people, the fans. I am not from Liverpool, but the team, and the city and its people are special to me and my son. For me this component will never change and will always be part of what makes the club different than all others.
Coaching, preparation and fitness
No.2 is coaching, be it Shankly and Paisley in the boot room years and recently Jurgen Klopp. The coaching, including fitness, was ahead of its time. Under the boot room years, I believe pre match tactics were minimum but preparation was everything.
With Klopp, at a minimum we were going to be the fittest. We were going to run faster, further and longer than the team we face. That edge matters, and it is one of the first things you notice when it drops even slightly.
Inspiration and the right structure behind the scenes
No.3 is inspiring. The managers would inspire, be it Shankly telling Keegan pre match that Bobby Moore was washed up, going bald, drank too much and a spent force. Then after the game when we had won, telling Keegan Bobby Moore is the greatest player you face, a giant of football, and if you got the better of him, who is there to fear.
Or Klopp, who players would run through a wall for. That ability to lift the group, and to set the emotional tone, is not fluff. It is part of what drives standards day after day.
No.4 is the back room staff. The best leaders understand their weaknesses, they know they do not know everything, and they surround themselves with the best out there without fear they will undermine them.
Professionalism, camaraderie and squad quality
No.5 is professionalism. I think the stand out of Salah's recent interview was the point of getting players who set the example. In modern times the Salah's, Milners, Henderson, Gini, etc. who whilst not necessarily the best players in the team, they set the standard, be it in the gym before training, working extra after training, fitness, application, they set the standard.
I include in this group camaraderie too. The Jota's, Elliotts, Tsimikas etc, they may not be starters, but are popular personalities in the squad and train as if they are.
No.6 is quality. You need the quality players. When we lost the Champions League first time to Madrid, we got in Fabinho, Alisson, VVD, along with Salah, Mane, Bobby, and they turned us from a good team to winners. So for me No's 2, 3, 4, 5 have dropped below the standard this season.
No.6 is debatable as we are missing some key acquisitions that, like Fab, VVD and Alisson did previously, will make a difference. So whether it is Slot staying or a new manager coming in, for me it is these points that are the minimum requirement, with No.1 as a given and No.6 a work in progress. But 1, 2, 3, 4 are the minimum requirements for whoever takes over at this amazing club, above formations, experience, honours won.
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