Liverpool faces mounting pressure after a 2-0 Champions League quarter-final first-leg defeat to Paris Saint-Germain, following a humiliating 4-0 FA Cup quarter-final loss to Manchester City. The Reds have secured just two victories in their last eight matches across all competitions, putting top-five Premier League finishes—and Champions League qualification next season—at risk, alongside any chance of silverware.
Souness Shares Blame Between Slot and Squad
Former Liverpool captain and manager Graeme Souness argues that the players bear equal responsibility for the team’s poor form, alongside head coach Arne Slot. He questions the squad’s commitment to fundamental efforts like pressing and running.
“I’m not looking straight at Arne Slot,” Souness stated. “I’m not saying he’s without blame—when you’re the manager, you’re answerable for everything that goes wrong—but I’d start with the players.”
Souness highlights statistics showing Liverpool consistently run less distance than opponents. “That’s the starting point. You’re not working as hard,” he said. “When you work hard with the ball, it comes naturally—you’re moving to receive, creating angles, manipulating it. It’s when you don’t have the ball that the hard work really matters. I don’t think the pressing has been good enough, and that makes the back four vulnerable.”
“The players in the dressing room have to look at themselves for what’s been an indifferent season,” he added.
Effort Key in Souness’s Liverpool Era
Reflecting on his playing days at Anfield, Souness emphasized simplicity. “The message was simple: work as hard as the opposition and you’ll be fine because you’re good players. That hasn’t happened enough this season.”
He criticized overcomplicating the game with tactics. “For all the people who want to complicate the game with tactics and analysis, sometimes it’s basic—you’re not matching the opposition for effort.”
“And when you’ve got the sort of quality Liverpool have, that’s what I would be saying to them: on your day you can beat anyone. But the first thing you need to do is match the opposition’s effort, and Liverpool have not done that consistently this season,” Souness noted.
European Form Contrasts League Struggles
Despite the midweek outclassing by PSG, Liverpool delivered standout Champions League performances this season, defeating quarter-final rivals Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid, as well as Marseille and Inter Milan.
Souness attributes some disparity to league differences. “The Premier League is more demanding than anywhere else. The intensity is higher.” He pointed to Italian football’s absence from recent World Cups and Ligue 1’s reliance on one dominant team, while questioning the current strength of Real Madrid and Barcelona.
