Liverpool squad judged short of title-winning standard
Liverpool have been warned that their transfer window has left them short of the quality and depth required to mount a sustained title challenge.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Gabby Agbonlahor delivered a blunt assessment of Liverpool’s prospects when asked whether the current squad could compete for the Premier League crown.
“No, they definitely do not,” Agbonlahor said. “I don’t see that squad of players challenging at all.”
His concerns centred on several areas of the side, particularly right-back, central midfield and the balance of the defence. Jeremie Frimpong’s suitability for a conventional defensive role was questioned, while Milos Kerkez’s early performances also came under scrutiny.
Agbonlahor described Frimpong as “more of a wing-back” than a right-back, an observation which cuts to the heart of Liverpool’s tactical problem. His speed and attacking instincts can stretch opponents, but those qualities are less valuable if the space behind him repeatedly leaves the defence exposed.
Liverpool’s recruitment has introduced individual promise, yet the wider concern is whether the pieces fit together. Jérémy Jacquet was praised as a promising defender, while Giovanni Leoni is expected to return and provide another option. However, uncertainty remains around a back line still led by Virgil van Dijk.
Martin Keown was more optimistic about the manager’s ability to solve the problems, although he admitted Liverpool had not settled as quickly as expected.
“I think the manager will ultimately get it right because I believe strongly in him,” Keown said.
Full-back changes weaken Liverpool’s familiar foundations
Liverpool’s strongest sides were built around aggressive full-backs, an intense press and the ability to keep opponents trapped inside their own half. That familiarity has disappeared.
Keown argued that different sections of the team are currently failing to function as one unit. When Liverpool push forward, they are not closing the spaces quickly enough to prevent counter-attacks.
“You need to suffocate your opponent, and Liverpool are letting teams counter-attack at the moment,” he said.
That leaves Van Dijk and his defensive partners facing uncomfortable decisions. They must either step forward and risk allowing an opponent to run into space behind them, or retreat and create a damaging gap between defence and midfield.
The departures of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson were also highlighted by callers to talkSPORT. Both helped define Liverpool’s attacking identity during the club’s most successful recent period. Replacing their passing, delivery, experience and tactical understanding was always likely to require more than simply signing two new full-backs.
Frimpong offers a very different profile, while Kerkez still needs time to establish himself. Liverpool may eventually benefit from their energy and athleticism, but title challengers cannot afford lengthy periods of adjustment in vital defensive positions.
One supporter, Shaz, described the club’s planning as “pure negligence”, particularly in relation to the right wing and holding midfield roles. Another caller, Ben, labelled it “a really poor window” and said Liverpool looked vulnerable in central midfield and on both defensive flanks.
Midfield shortage could define Liverpool’s season
Central midfield emerged as the most consistent concern during the talkSPORT discussion.
Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai provide technical quality, but the squad appears to lack a specialist defensive midfielder capable of controlling transitions and protecting the centre-backs.
Keown was particularly concerned by the sight of Mac Allister operating in a deeper position.
“He’s great with the ball, but you need that lynchpin, that defensive player there who shuts down all the attacks,” he said. “That’s probably what they’re lacking.”
Agbonlahor agreed that Liverpool need another top-class midfielder if they are serious about challenging across several competitions. Champions League football places enormous physical demands on a squad, and injuries to any of the principal midfielders could quickly expose the lack of alternatives.
Wataru Endo offers experience from the bench, but Liverpool appear left short of a player who can dominate the area, regain possession and carry the ball through pressure. One caller also argued that the team has never fully replaced the dynamism once supplied by Georginio Wijnaldum.
Ismaïla Sarr was suggested as a possible solution by another supporter, although both pundits questioned whether he would provide the balance Liverpool need. Sarr is an attacking player rather than a holding midfielder and is most comfortable when receiving the ball in advanced areas.
That distinction matters. Liverpool do not simply need another exciting forward. They need someone capable of making the entire structure more secure.
Transfer window leaves questions over goals and depth
Cody Gakpo staying at Liverpool provides continuity on the left, but his retention should not disguise the remaining gaps. As Agbonlahor observed, keeping an existing player cannot genuinely be presented as a new signing.
The most pressing attacking question concerns whether Liverpool have adequately replaced Mohamed Salah’s goals and influence. Bradley Barcola, Jérémy Jacquet, Victor Muñoz and the other arrivals may improve the squad individually, but replacing an elite goalscorer requires proven output as well as potential.
Supporters calling talkSPORT were broadly satisfied with the quality of certain signings. Stephen praised the individual ability added during the transfer window and said Jacquet and Muñoz had impressed him. Nevertheless, he remained worried about midfield depth and the right-back position.
Liverpool therefore enter the campaign in an unusual position. There is enough talent to produce excellent performances, and sufficient attacking quality to trouble most opponents, but the squad does not yet look complete.
Arsenal appear more settled, while Manchester City and Chelsea possess substantial resources and depth. Liverpool’s margin for error is consequently narrow. If the midfield remains exposed, the full-backs struggle defensively or the forwards fail to replace lost goals, the club could find itself chasing the leading contenders rather than setting the pace.
Liverpool have not endured a disastrous transfer window, but they may have allowed it to close with one or two crucial jobs unfinished. In a title race decided by fine margins, being left short in several positions could prove the difference between challenging for the trophy and watching others pull away.
