After winning their 20th league title in the 2025/25 season under Arne Slot, Liverpool endured a steep fall-off with their fifth-place finish last season. The Reds finished the 2025/26 campaign with 17 wins, 9 draws, and 12 losses, having conceded an alarming 53 goals.
They narrowly finished in a Champions League qualification spot, thanks largely to other teams in the league floundering worse than they did. The club's board ultimately decided to dismiss Slot after what was a massively concerning season.
The Andoni Iraola era at the club has started off with a win and two draws in three league games. After bringing in Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Hugo Ekitike, and Giorgi Mamardashvili last summer, Iraola boosted the squad's strength with the additions of Bradley Barcola, Jérémy Jacquet, Víctor Muñoz, and Ronald Araújo, all of whom have already made an impact with their appearances thus far.
On paper, especially once both Connor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni return from injury to bolster Liverpool's defensive strength, there's no reason to suggest that they can't make significant improvements from last season, finish higher than they did, and make further pushes in the cup competitions.
But just what went so wrong last season? Liverpool still had a decent enough squad to fare far better than they did aside from key injuries to Bradley, Leoni, and Ekitike, but it just did not work.
Szoboszlai Diagnoses Liverpool's Key Problems From Last Season
In a recent conversation with Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard for TNT Sports, Szboszlai tried to put his finger on exactly what wasn't quite working for the club last season. For the Hungarian captain, a lot of Liverpool's shortcomings stemmed from.
Gerrard specifically asked a question about the difference between this season and last season in terms of intensity, energy, and going a little bit more vertical in terms of passing, to which Liverpool's current number 8 replied;
I think it has to change. This is what we missed last season. If we can bring this intensity back, and that we want it more than the others. We have the quality, and this together, no one can stop us.
Gerrard also asked how Szoboszlai is getting along with new manager Iraola, to which the Hungarian replied;
I like him, I like him a lot. Obviously, I know he has a really direct, intense playing style, which I love.
The Numbers Don't Lie
Ironically, it was Szoboszlai himself who was the only Liverpool player from last season in the top 10 for total distance covered in the Premier League, having covered 385.79 kilometers. As far as distance covered, sprints, and top speeds are concerned from last season, the only player within, or around the top 10 for any of those categories aside from Szoboszlai was Jeremie Frimpong, who recorded the 12th-quickest speed of the season of 36.18 kilometers per hour in last August's 1-0 win over Arsenal.
While those numbers don't tell the full story, they paint a somewhat accurate picture of a Liverpool side that was far too often second best to everything last season. That needs to change this season and the hunger, desire, and determination needs to be there, as both Gerrard and Szoboszlai alluded to.
