From champions to crisis: Slot’s Liverpool searching for answers

October 31, 2025 Oliver Obel

Goals from Ismaila Sarr and Yeremy Pino sealed Palace’s third consecutive win over Liverpool this season, exposing the fragility of a team still searching for rhythm under their new manager. The result compounded a worrying month for the reigning Premier League champions, who have gone more than four weeks without a league victory.

Slot again turned to youth, naming eight teenagers in his matchday squad and starting three of them. But he also fielded senior players needing minutes: Freddie Woodman replaced Giorgi Mamardashvili in goal, while Wataru Endo, Joe Gomez and Andy Robertson formed an improvised back three. Federico Chiesa led the line, making just his second start of the campaign.

Midfield struggles continue

Liverpool’s midfield, a long-standing concern this season, again lacked control and composure. The pairing of 18-year-old Trey Nyoni and World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister failed to steady the side, leaving the team vulnerable in transition.

Frustration among fans was evident online. One supporter wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Mac Allister looks like Fabinho’s final season. Great the year before and then suddenly falls off a cliff and with the pace of a snail.”

Another said: “Watching Alexis Mac Allister this season has just been sad,” while a third added: “He’s only 26 and it looks like his legs are gone — crazy.”

Mac Allister’s numbers tell their own story

The Argentine midfielder was replaced after 67 minutes by 18-year-old Amara Nallo, whose debut ended abruptly when he was sent off 12 minutes later for a last-ditch foul on Justin Devenny.

According to post-match data from GIVEMESPORT, Mac Allister completed 89 percent of his passes from 72 touches but lost possession 12 times and failed to connect with any of his four crosses. He won two of five ground duels and has yet to start a Champions League fixture this season.

It was his 13th appearance of the campaign — and only his eighth start — leaving questions about his form and place in Slot’s plans. The £150,000-a-week midfielder had also featured off the bench in last weekend’s 3-2 defeat to Brentford.

Supporters on social media didn’t hold back.
“Mac Allister looks finished,” wrote one fan on X. “Slow, static, and miles off it.”
Another added: “He used to play with freedom. Now he looks scared to make a mistake.”

The criticism isn’t new.
Each subdued performance has chipped away at the goodwill he built during Liverpool’s title-winning run last season.

Some analysts believe Mac Allister is suffering from physical burnout.
Others suggest his skill set — technical and methodical — doesn’t suit Slot’s high-intensity pressing game.
He has often looked isolated when paired with younger midfielders like Trey Nyoni or when asked to anchor transitions alone.

Fan frustration and faith

While performances have been inconsistent, the mood around Anfield remains mixed. Supporters interviewed by BBC Sport said many are “losing patience” with Slot’s selections, though most still back the Dutchman who guided Liverpool to the Premier League title in his first season.

Fan Abigail Rudkin told BBC Sport she felt the manager had “sacrificed” the Palace tie but understood his long-term vision. “We are losing patience,” she said. “There are two sides to the fanbase — some want him gone, others like me are frustrated but grateful for what he’s done.”

Empire of the Kop editor Jordan Chamberlain added that results in the next three fixtures — against Aston Villa, Real Madrid and Manchester City — could define Slot’s short-term future. “If we get three negative results in the next week, then Slot’s job will be genuinely under threat,” he told BBC Sport. “But to suggest he should lose his job now is ludicrous. He deserves time to turn it around.”

Other fans, like Ryan and Karl, called for patience, pointing to the emotional impact of Diogo Jota’s tragic death in July. “Everyone is still dealing with the loss of Jota,” Karl said. “It’s not just football — it’s a human thing. Slot is still the right man for the job.”

Emotional toll on the squad

BBC Radio 5 Live pundit and former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock said the squad’s recent struggles cannot be separated from the grief still present inside the dressing room. “You’ve got a team that’s mourning,” he said. “Every time the Diogo Jota song goes up after 20 minutes, the tempo drops. It’s a constant reminder for the players — and that can’t be easy.”

Club captain Virgil van Dijk echoed that sentiment earlier this month, admitting, “It was always going to be a tough season. Nobody said it would be plain sailing. There are ups and downs for multiple reasons, and we just have to stick together.”

Tough road ahead

Liverpool, winless in their last four league games, face in-form Aston Villa at Anfield on Saturday. Unai Emery’s side have won four straight, a streak that will test Slot’s side before a daunting European meeting with Real Madrid and a Premier League clash with Manchester City on November 9.

The coming fortnight could prove decisive in defining both Slot’s season and Liverpool’s title defence — a campaign shaped as much by tactics and form as by emotion and recovery.

Sources: GIVEMESPORT, BBC Sport, BBC Radio 5 Live, Reuters