Liverpool Football Club faces a profound question that stretches back decades: why can't they successfully defend a league title? Despite being England's most decorated club with 20 top-flight championships, the Reds haven't maintained their crown since the 1983-84 season.
The Ferguson Contrast
As Manchester City's Pep Guardiola demonstrates the art of relentless title retention, Liverpool's recent 3-0 defeat to their rivals highlighted a crucial difference in approach. Sir Alex Ferguson mastered title defences through hard decisions, never allowing victory's glow to soften his team's competitive edge.
The contrast becomes stark when examining Mohamed Salah's situation. The Egyptian superstar, now 33, has delivered another disappointing performance against City, continuing a worrying trend this season. While Salah has been among the world's best performers until recently, his current form raises serious questions about Liverpool's summer decision-making.
The Summer Crossroads
This newsletter argues that Liverpool should have sold Salah during the summer transfer window. The club invested over £400 million in new attacking talent, creating the perfect opportunity to move on an ageing legend while introducing fresh blood.
Instead, Liverpool made what can only be described as a very un-Ferguson decision. The Manchester United legend famously discarded top scorer Ruud van Nistelrooy after what many considered an 'annus horribilis' in 2005-06. The result? Three consecutive Premier League titles followed immediately.
Liverpool's great Boot Room managers of the 1970s and 1980s displayed similar ruthlessness, abruptly moving on established stars for emerging talent. Bob Paisley operated with the same cold-eyed pragmatism that Ferguson later perfected.
Systemic Consequences
The decision to retain Salah creates multiple challenges for new manager Arne Slot. Liverpool's system naturally orbits around the Egyptian's playing style, particularly in modern football where individual stars exert gravitational pull on team shape and strategy.
This reality hampers the integration of expensive new signings like Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, who struggle to showcase their best qualities within a system still built around Salah. The consequence is a team caught between two identities: one designed for their ageing star, another preparing for life after him.
Sources close to the club suggest Liverpool remain confident about eventually securing substantial Saudi Pro League money for Salah, given persistent interest in Darwin Núñez. However, this medium-term financial gain might come at the cost of wasting a potentially valuable season and delaying the adaptation of their new attacking lineup.
The situation remains fluid, of course. Premier League narratives shift rapidly, and Salah has previously silenced doubters with remarkable comebacks. Many modern players maintain high performance levels into their late thirties.
Yet until the Egyptian rediscovers his devastating form, the suspicion will linger that Liverpool missed their optimal moment for change. The club's emotional attachment to last season's talisman may have compromised the ruthless edge required to become serial champions again.
