Telegraph: It’s puzzling that Liverpool abandoned last season’s winning squad, with many new signings struggling

October 26th: After Liverpool suffered four consecutive defeats in the Premier League, the team's state caused widespread concern. The "Daily Telegraph" wrote an analysis, believing that coach Slott may be "undermining and underestimating" his championship achievements last season and conducting a "radical redesign" of the championship lineup, causing the team to change from a "well-organized, confident, and perfectly orchestrated whole" into a "dysfunctional mess."

The article pointed out that Slott’s decision to abandon last season’s “winning formula” is puzzling. Compared to the starting line-up against Tottenham when the title was sealed in April, only four players are still starting in the same position in the humiliating defeat to Brentford. While injuries are partly to blame, "structural changes have been evident since the Community Shield".

The article questioned: "Is Slott's championship-winning lineup really so bad that it needs such a radical redesign?" The team does not look like it has undergone a "decorative transformation", but rather like it has been "destroyed."

While admitting that Liverpool needs reinforcements, the article criticized the problems with the integration of new players and tactical arrangements. Among the seven new players who spent huge sums of money to bring in, many of them struggled. Wirtz, who is the most valuable, "is obviously not qualified for the three-midfield system at the moment." After he performed well on the wing against Frankfurt, he was placed in the midfield against Brentford, which was "particularly puzzling."

Central defenders Van Dijk and Konate were "exposed" because the team was easily counterattacked. Another new aid, Colquez, was described as a "panicked rabbit." On the front line, Ekitic's performance was acceptable, but Isaac rarely received the wide cross service he was accustomed to when he was at Newcastle. The article warned that he may repeat the mistakes of Collymore or Nunez - being lost due to forcibly changing his playing style.

The team's tactical problems are also very obvious. Liverpool appeared "submissive" to the long pass and set-piece tactics of Crystal Palace, Manchester United and Brentford, and their response measures were "increasingly weak". Even when Slott tried to return to last season's midfield trio, Bradley's form or the risk of a red card often forced the in-form Szoboszlai to drop deep into the full-backs. Alisson's absence is believed to have contributed to at least two or three of the last five goals conceded.

The article believes that although Salah is in a sluggish state and missed opportunities, the team's current predicament far exceeds his alone. Liverpool's seven-game winning streak at the start of the season may have masked wider flaws. Slaughter may be hoping that the defeat to Brentford is the lowest point, but given the likely rotation in the Carabao Cup and the growing injury list, there is no evidence that the worst is over. The article finally concluded that Liverpool should forget about defending the title for now. Its performance is far inferior to Arsenal. If it can finally win the top four, its improvement will be comparable to the great changes in the year when Klopp took over Rodgers.