Chris Sutton names Liverpool player who has 'his boots on wrong feet' and another who's been 'disappointment'
Liverpool sit sixth in the Premier League table and their title defence has been lacklustre.
Chris Sutton believes that four of Liverpool’s Premier League title winners’ form has dropped markedly.
The Reds have endured a lacklustre 2025-26 season as defending English champions. They were out of the title race by December and now face a battle to finish in the top four and secure Champions League qualification.
Certainly, it’s a drop off that nobody predicted given how comfortably Liverpool won the silverware last season in Arne Slot’s maiden campaign as head coach. But the Reds have failed to convince throughout the campaign and the 3-2 defeat by Bournemouth was the 13th time that they dropped points in the top flight.
Mo Salah scored 34 goals and produced 23 assists in all competitions during 2024-25, while Virgil van Dijk was excellent in defence. The pair signed new two-year contracts despite being 32 and 33 respectively although neither have hit the levels they displayed in previous years.
Meanwhile, Ryan Gravenberch excelled when deployed as a defensive midfielder, while Alexis Mac Allister was a key cog. But Sutton reckons the quartet have jettisoned.
Speaking on the Monday Night Club, former Celtic and Aston Villa striker Sutton said: “At the start of the season, when they were winning ugly, I thought it was a really good thing. But Liverpool fans I know are finding the football boring and that is clearly an issue. Maybe Marseille, maybe Real Madrid, maybe Arsenal earlier in the season when there was a bit of a rearguard action from Liverpool and they ended up getting over the line but other than that, I can't remember Liverpool playing [well] for 90 minutes and that's an issue.
“How many right-backs have they used this season? That doesn't help then the guy playing up on the right [wing] Mo Salah looks like he has put his boots on the wrong feet this season. He's miles off it. You then look at Van Dijk, his levels have dropped and you're talking about two stars whose levels haven't just dropped but dropped significantly. Even players like Gravenberch, who was phenomenal last season is not at the level, Mac Allister has been a disappointment. It seems like [Dominik]Szoboszlai on his own and that's the issue.
“The 13-match unbeaten run, when you look at the teams, with respect, it wasn't anything to get too excited about. From now until the end of the season, it's going to be important for Arne Slot to get them back and playing well. They have spent a fortune, as well. They lost good players, Luis Diaz has been a massive loss, he got credit but maybe not enough credit.”