Liverpool are baffling.

Losing 0-2 to PSG, Liverpool not only face the risk of being eliminated from the Champions League but also reveal a season that has gone off track after a huge investment.

Arne Slot's future is in jeopardy.

Liverpool didn't lose the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final because of one moment. They lost because of a whole process that went astray.

The match in Paris on April 9th ​​fully exposed the weaknesses in coach Arne Slot's squad. A team that spent £450 million but failed to register a single shot on target against PSG. A team forced to play as the underdog and accept being outplayed for most of the game.

When tactics become questionable

Slot calls it "survival mode." A blunt statement, but also an admission that Liverpool no longer have control of the game.

A two-goal deficit isn't the end of the road. But the problem is, Liverpool haven't shown they have the foundation to stage a comeback.

To score three or four goals against the reigning European champions, the prerequisite is to create chances. And at Parc des Princes, they barely managed to do that.

This reality makes the second leg paradoxical. It should have been the highlight of the season, but now it's just a slim hope.

Liverpool face a trophyless season, despite spending heavily.

A more realistic goal for Liverpool right now is to secure a place in next season's Champions League. Even that isn't guaranteed, given they've only managed one point from their last three Premier League games.

A great team cannot live on hope alone. But Liverpool currently has almost nothing left but hope.

Arne Slot doesn't stand still. He changes, and sometimes drastically.

The three-centre-back formation made its debut, as a reaction to the 0-4 defeat against Manchester City. But this adjustment did not yield any noticeable results. Liverpool were still pushed back, still left gaps, and still couldn't create any counter-pressure.

Interestingly, controversy erupted immediately after the match. Legend Steven Gerrard saw periods where Slot's plan worked. Former Liverpool centre-back Jamie Carragher, on the other hand, argued it was a major tactical mistake.

Two contrasting perspectives, yet both point to the same problem: Liverpool lacks a stable identity.

Slot questioned the use of wingers, particularly Mohamed Salah. He expressed concerns about Salah's defensive capabilities against speedy full-backs like Hakimi or Nuno Mendes. That's why Salah wasn't used.

This decision is logical. But it also shows that Liverpool is making a trade-off. They are accepting a reduction in attacking power to maintain a defensive structure. And when that doesn't bring certainty, the team falls into a state of limbo: neither safe enough nor sharp enough.

The era of Liverpool with Salah and Van Dijk is coming to an end.

Personnel issues make the problem even more difficult. Liverpool only have three fit centre-backs, while Joe Gomez isn't always available. The system demands stability, but the foundation lacks solidity.

When tactics depend too heavily on personnel availability, all options become makeshift.

A generation passes, and a void lies ahead.

While Liverpool struggled to find a solution, the signs of an end to a cycle became increasingly clear. Virgil van Dijk stated bluntly: everything comes to an end, including his time. The Dutch center-back is approaching 35. He remains a pillar of support, but he is no longer the future.

Mohamed Salah is likely playing out his final months at Anfield. Andy Robertson faces a similar prospect, having announced his departure from the club after the 2025/26 season. The names that defined Liverpool's identity for almost a decade are gradually leaving the stage.

Conversely, the new pieces haven't yet created a cohesive unit. Liverpool have invested heavily, but the squad remains in a transitional state. It's not old enough to be stable, nor new enough to be explosive.

That's why they are so vulnerable against top opponents like PSG. And that's also why the belief in a comeback is so low.

Van Dijk is getting old.

Van Dijk recalled the 2019 season, when Liverpool staged a comeback against Barcelona. But memories cannot replace reality. The team was at its peak then. Currently, Liverpool is a team that is past its peak.

The more worrying aspect lies outside of the Champions League. If they fail to qualify for the tournament next season, the financial consequences will be enormous. For a club that has already spent heavily, the pressure to rebuild will be even greater.

Liverpool left Paris with a clear feeling: they hadn't just lost a game. They were losing the race to reinvent themselves.

"Survival mode" can help a team get through a difficult period. But it's not the foundation for building success.

For Liverpool, the question now is no longer whether they can overturn the deficit against PSG, but rather how they will navigate this transitional period, and whether Arne Slot will still be there to lead the way.

PSG's convincing victory: Their 2-0 win against Liverpool this morning in the Champions League quarter-finals is a clear statement to anyone who dares to challenge PSG in the title race.

Source: https://znews.vn/kho-hieu-voi-liverpool-post1642335.html