Liverpool have a Jordan Henderson-shaped problem after telling Mo Salah statement

Liverpool need more than a handful of transfers if they expect to get back on track in the 2026/27 season.

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Mo Salah more than indicated as much as he observed an array of tributes from teammates, rivals and previous managers.

There’s a growing concern over the club’s culture and direction of travel amid what has been a tumultuous campaign from the Merseysiders.

The players’ perspective: Liverpool need standard-setters and leaders

Yet again, the Merseysiders found themselves down at the half-time break in Manchester after an appalling first-half start at Old Trafford.

Mind, Arne Slot’s men did manage to recover somewhat in the second half, and the hosts needed Kobbie Mainoo’s winner to stop Liverpool from walking away with a point.

But the Reds’ first-half struggles are hardly new, and perhaps it all feeds back to a central concern – an increasingly apparent vacuum in responsibility and leadership.

As James Pearce rightly noted for The Athletic: “The body language has been poor, with too many feeling sorry for themselves and not taking sufficient responsibility. Mentality is a glaring issue in this evolving team.”

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Liverpool miss Jordan Henderson and James Milner

We never thought we’d have to write this, but Liverpool could really do with the standard-setters of yore.

The sight of James Milner demolishing pre-season fitness tests, Jordan Henderson corralling his teammates on the pitch… even Adam Lallana understood the standards that were required during the Jurgen Klopp era.

But it’s difficult to say who will be plugging these gaps after Liverpool lose the experience of Mo Salah and Andy Robertson this summer.

“I spoke to a member of staff and also the guys up there, I told them, ‘When I leave you need an example here. You need people to come early and got to the gym. If this doesn’t happen, it will be very tricky for the club, because it’s very necessary you put the standards high’,” Mo Salah was quoted.

Dominik Szoboszlai, to pick an example out of thin air, is a supremely talented footballer, but looks ill-suited to taking on this baton.

The manager’s perspective: Liverpool need a consistent identity

It would be unfair to pin all the blame on the players, given that Arne Slot’s tactical identity has been found to be wanting this season.

Yes, the former Feyenoord boss has been missing his favourite toys this year – pacy, direct wingers. The loss of Luis Diaz to FC Bayern, for instance, has seriously hit Liverpool hard.

But we can’t confidently say that Liverpool would be in title-winning (or title-defending) shape with the addition of two pacy wingers.

When they’ve opted for control, they’ve still looked leaky at the back. When they’ve thrown caution to the wind, they struggle to lay down a marker on a game.

The fact that we’re on course to achieve Champions League football this term rather feels, with the greatest of respect to Slot, in spite of the manager instead of because of him.

If we’re not prioritising culture and responsibility as we head into the summer window, things could unravel even further.

And with consequences that will be felt for seasons to come.

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