Liverpool’s Loss to Chelsea Exposes Structural Flaws and Managerial Missteps

Liverpool Falter in London: Three Straight Defeats Under Arne Slot

Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge has triggered a wave of honest introspection among Reds supporters. On the Gags Tandon Show for Anfield Index, Gags Tandon and Jack McIndoe dissected what they called a “really frustrating” and “absolutely awful” Liverpool performance. The result marked the first time Arne Slot has suffered three consecutive defeats since taking charge of the club.

Tandon didn’t hide his disappointment, opening the post-match show with a pointed statement: “Chelsea are not a good team… they had a makeshift defence… and for us to go and match that makeshift defence just bamboozled me.” The defeat, made worse by its context, has prompted questions not just about individual performances, but about the club’s tactical direction under Slot.

Managerial Decisions Under Scrutiny

Throughout the podcast, both hosts made repeated references to what they perceive as tactical stubbornness from the manager. Tandon was blunt: “He’s stubborn that he didn’t want to bring Gomez on. Stubborn that he’s moving Dom back again and not trying to bring on Frimpong.”

There was particular concern around the decision to play Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back. “Dom going to right back made sense against Garnacho at the time,” Gags admitted, “but Grav[enberch] at centre-back? No sense at all.” The hosts were baffled that Liverpool ended up with “square pegs in round holes,” a phrase that became a refrain during the analysis.

Jack added: “Too many players playing out of form… body language not right… some not even blocking the space in certain situations.”

Incoherent Structure and Lack of Desire

Chelsea didn’t dominate in terms of clear-cut chances, yet Liverpool were undone by sloppy structure and lacklustre intensity. “It’s just not good enough,” said McIndoe. “Two shots on target in 97 minutes of football… not good enough with the creativity we have.”

He went on to describe Liverpool’s play as “lazy… just a beating of the press really.” Tandon added that it was “a whole load of mess” and warned that “the manager has really got to get out of favouritism now.”

Both analysts repeatedly referenced the lack of pressing from the front. “We’re missing Diaz and Jota’s press in the nine position,” Gags pointed out. “It was no coincidence that as soon as we started pressing, Chelsea panicked.” He later highlighted that Mohamed Salah “created two great chances,” but was let down by the system: “Mo’s shooting was awful today… but we’re not playing in Mo’s favour.”

Squad Misprofiling and Transfer Failures

Another major theme was squad construction. “Two big mistakes in the window,” said Tandon. “They need a centre-back, a left winger, a right back and another midfielder.” Jack echoed the sentiment: “It’s a jigsaw puzzle that never gets completed… you lose a piece if you move it somewhere else.”

Gravenberch’s deployment in defence and Szoboszlai in unfamiliar positions were called out as examples of misprofiling. “If Grav has to play centre-back, we’ll end up losing him too,” Tandon warned.

Their frustration culminated in criticism of recruitment strategy. “You spent 125 million on a player you’re not even feeding,” said Gags, referring to summer signing Isak. “He was feeding on scraps.” The duo believe the club failed to reinforce where it mattered most. “The bit that needed it most was defence. Always needs it most,” said Gags.

Club in Mourning and Transition

The podcast concluded on a sombre and reflective note, acknowledging the emotional toll of the season. Tandon referenced the tragic loss of Diogo Jota in July and said, “Grief takes away a percentage of your performance… it takes time.”

Virgil van Dijk’s recent comments were cited in support of this. “When a player like him comes out and says that, I’m just going to accept it,” Gags said. “It’s real.”

As Liverpool head into the international break, the mood is clear: this is a team in transition, a manager under pressure and a squad still reeling. “It’s going to be a rough month,” warned Gags. “We need to stay close to the top until Jan-Feb. That’s when we might click.”

Whether Slot can steady the ship remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the problems run deeper than a narrow loss in London.