Liverpool stumbled through the first half of the2025-26 season but can still make it a success in the second half.
The best time for Liverpool to come out looking like the defending Premier League champions, to sweep aside all challengers, and to show the world that they are in fact one of the strongest squads in football would have been at the start of the 2025-26 season. Sadly, that didn’t quite happen.
The second best time is now. Same season, but new year. Calendars ticked over. Resolutions made (and perhaps already forgotten). And a few slightly more promising foundations having been laid down back in December than had been the case through October and November. It’s time the Reds kicked on.
“Last season we were able to succeed with a group who, by and large, had been together for some time,” manager Arne Slot reflected ahead of Liverpool’s first match of the new year against Leeds United. “So it makes sense that there would be a period of adaptation when this situation changed.
“We were aware this was likely to happen and injuries have meant some of our new signings have not been available to us as much as we would have liked, but there is no question that now is the time to kick on. For one reason or another, this has been more challenging for us than we would like.
“But there are also promising signs with the new players having more of an influence and the understanding between all of our players getting better after a summer of change. The hope and also the expectation would be that these elements will continue to improve in the second half of the season.”
Despite Liverpool first half struggles, the season isn’t entirely lost. A win today would still see them ten points back of leaders Arsenal at the half-way point—a likely insurmountable gap—but with a solid, five point buffer in their fight to finish in the top four and re-qualify for the Champions League.
Meanwhile in Europe, they’re well set up to qualify for the knockout rounds—likely with a first round bye—with two matches still to play in the league phase. The FA Cup is set to kick off against Barnsley on the 12th of the month. This isn’t where the Reds wanted to be, but it’s not a bad spot.
At least it’s not if they do now kick on. If they use the foundations laid in December and continue to both perform and get results better than back in the autumn when nothing seemed to be going right. The Reds have had their stumble, it’s well past time they started setting down markers again.
Category: General Sports
