The Athletic FC Podcast Should we be worried about Liverpool this season?
18 snips
Aug 30, 2025 Football analyst Jon Mackenzie joins host Ayo Akinwolere to dissect Liverpool's shaky start to the season. Despite winning their first two matches, they've leaked goals and raised questions about how new signings fit into the current strategy. The discussion dives into Liverpool's evolving attacking tactics and the challenges players face in adapting, especially newcomers like Florian Vietz. They also emphasize the importance of team dynamics and patience in building chemistry for a strong title defense.
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Control Through Tempo Shifts
- Arne Slot prefers control by delaying forward passes and choosing tempo shifts rather than constant high press possession higher up the pitch.
- That approach needs different player profiles than Liverpool had under Klopp and changes how attacks are progressed.
Wirtz Needs Final-Third Volume
- Florian Wirtz is a high-volume final-third player who thrived at Leverkusen getting many actions near goal.
- Liverpool's deeper build-up and quicker transitions so far reduce Wirtz's final-third involvement and effectiveness.
Leverkusen Clip Showing Wirtz Impact
- Jon walks through a Leverkusen sequence showing Wirtz repeatedly finding space, receiving and moving the ball to create chances.
- That sequence culminated in a low-risk layoff for Frimpong and a big chance, illustrating Wirtz's subtle influence.