Liverpool give clearest sign yet that massive change must happen

Massive change must happen at Liverpool. That much couldn't be clearer after their shocking result against Tottenham Hotspur.

Liverpool earned a hard-fought point at home against Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. And that's pretty abysmal.

The Reds were outplayed for large quantities of the fixture by the worst team in the Premier League. One of only three professional English teams without a league win in 2026.

Spurs actually had more shots on target (7) than Liverpool (4). They created more big chances, too (2 to 0). The only away fixture in which they matched or bettered their 52% duel success rate was at Burnley.

So all in all, this was dreadful. Liverpool only found their goal through a moment of Dominik Szoboszlai brilliance, and not for the first time, and were unable to craft proper chances from open play.

Or even with set-piece routines on this occasion.

It's the clearest sign yet that change simply must happen.

Liverpool need change

That change doesn't have to be sacking Arne Slot and replacing him with someone new. Let's be clear on that - if only because the chances of Liverpool actually doing that seem slim.

But if the Dutchman is to stay, we need to see something dramatically different. His 4-2-3-1 system, something he's stuck to since arriving at Anfield, doesn't work. That's something we all said when losing 3-0 at home to Nottingham Forest and now, four months later, it's still the case - even if dropping deeper has made Liverpool a bit harder to beat.

The system and style, though, does not work. Whether it's with this group or this league - and we imagine it's the former given the performance in Istanbul - persisting with it is madness at this point.

Because yes, team's can switch to a different system mid-season. It's normal for that to happen and teams can actually be wildly successful that way.

Antonio Conte switched to a back three mid-season with Chelsea in 2016/17 and subsequently won the title. Jurgen Klopp had Liverpool playing a 4-2-3-1 for the first part of 2018/19 before switching to 4-3-3. The Reds won the UEFA Champions League that season and finished on 97 Premier League points.

So the idea that teams must rigidly stick to one vague system is nonsense. Liverpool need to try something new and that starts with the way they're playing.

A failure to even outperform Tottenham, let alone beat them, is as sure a sign of that as you're going to get. The worst team in England just went to Anfield and properly earned a point.

That can't happen without subsequent change. Liverpool can't afford it to.

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