Goldbridge on Liverpool’s Possible Transition Season under Slot
When Mark Goldbridge sat down to dissect Liverpool’s latest form on the That’s Football podcast, he made it clear that despite two defeats in a row, talk of crisis was wide of the mark. “The honest answer is no, they’re in trouble, but they’re not in crisis,” he said, highlighting the importance of perspective as Arne Slot navigates his first genuine transition season at Anfield.
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Questions of Crisis and Reality
Goldbridge noted how fans demanded a “Liverpool in crisis” segment, pointing out the double standards compared with Manchester United. “Man United can’t win two games in a row and they get loads of stick. Liverpool lose two games in a row and they don’t get any stick. Morons, morons alert.”
Despite recent losses to Crystal Palace and Galatasaray, Goldbridge reminded viewers that Liverpool remain “still bloody top” of the Premier League and are “one of the favourites to win the Champions League.” For him, the defeats are part of football’s natural cycle rather than evidence of collapse.
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Slot’s Inheritance and the Rebuild
One of the podcast’s strongest points centred on how Arne Slot has had to manage expectations after inheriting Jurgen Klopp’s foundations. Goldbridge explained: “Anna Slot came in and inherited a Jurgen Klopp team that was ready to win the league last year… everybody knows that was a Klopp team that Slot did fantastically well with.”
This season is different, with Slot finally shaping a squad in his own image. “Year two always had to be what was in effect maybe Slot’s first season where he gets the money and he’s allowed to dismantle and rebuild and that’s what we’re seeing,” Goldbridge said. He emphasised the presence of “two new fullbacks” and “a whole new front line really apart from Salah” as clear signs of transition.
Settling Players and Impatience
The discussion repeatedly circled back to the challenge of embedding new signings. Goldbridge argued, “It’s a settling in process. There’s no patience in football anymore. People want to call Vertz a flop, they want to call Each a flop. I mean, he’s not even match fit.”
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He used the example of the full backs, comparing them unfavourably with established names: “At Bournemouth he was one of the best left backs in the league last year but he’s struggling to adapt to Liverpool life… you’ve got Trent and Robertson at Liverpool this year, they’re a better team because they know the job.”
The modern rush to judge has made integration harder. “The demand for instantaneous results and satisfaction in modern society is epidemic. Everybody wants it. And in football, it just doesn’t work like that.”
Transition Season Challenges
For Goldbridge, the current struggles underline the reality of Liverpool’s transition season. He flagged issues across the pitch, from defensive cover to uncertainty in attack. “No Jotter, no Diaz… you’ve now got Ekit and Isak who are better on paper than Darwin Nunez, but they’ve got to settle,” he said, before adding that Cody Gakpo’s form still invited comparison with Diaz.
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Despite these concerns, he retained belief in Liverpool’s resilience. “They’re hard to beat and they’re not playing well… are they going to start playing well? The chances are they are. And when they do, they’re going to be a hard team to beat.”
Looking ahead, Goldbridge stressed that Slot’s side remain contenders. “I still think they’re favourites to win the league. I still think they’ve got a good chance of winning the Champions League. But year two is always difficult.
