Significant changes are essential at Liverpool, as evidenced by their disappointing performance against Tottenham Hotspur.
On Sunday, Liverpool struggled to secure a hard-fought draw at home against Tottenham, which is quite disappointing.
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Throughout the match, Liverpool was outperformed by Spurs, who currently sit at the bottom of the Premier League and are one of only three English clubs without a league win in 2026.
In fact, Tottenham recorded more shots on target (7) than Liverpool (4) and had more clear-cut chances (2 to 0). The only away game where Spurs matched or exceeded their 52% success rate in duels was against Burnley.
Overall, this performance was unacceptable. Liverpool only managed to score thanks to a moment of brilliance from Dominik Szoboszlai—a situation that has become all too familiar—and struggled to create genuine scoring opportunities from open play.
Even set-piece plays failed to yield any significant results.
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This clearly indicates that change is necessary.
Change is Needed at Liverpool
This change doesn’t necessarily mean sacking Arne Slot and appointing a new manager. It’s important to emphasize this, particularly given the slim likelihood of such an action occurring.
If Slot is to remain, however, we must witness a substantial shift in approach. His 4-2-3-1 formation, which he has consistently utilized since joining Anfield, has proven ineffective. This was evident during the 3-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest, and four months later, the situation has not improved—even if a more defensive posture has made Liverpool slightly tougher to break down.
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The current system simply isn’t working, whether with this squad or in this league—though it seems more likely to be the former, especially after their lackluster performance in Istanbul. Continuing to stick with this formation at this point is nothing short of madness.
Teams are indeed capable of altering their tactics mid-season. Such changes are common and can lead to significant success.
For instance, Antonio Conte transitioned to a back three mid-season with Chelsea in 2016/17 and went on to win the title. Similarly, Jürgen Klopp initially employed a 4-2-3-1 formation in the first half of the 2018/19 season before shifting to a 4-3-3, a change that helped Liverpool win the UEFA Champions League and earn 97 points in the Premier League.
The notion that teams must rigidly adhere to a single formation is unfounded. Liverpool absolutely needs to explore new strategies, starting with their tactical execution.
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The failure to outclass Tottenham—or even secure a victory—is a clear indicator of the urgent need for change. The bottom team in the league just came to Anfield and rightfully secured a point.
This cannot continue, and Liverpool cannot afford to allow it to.