Don’t Panic! Don’t Panic!
Liverpool’s first game of the season is less than two weeks away. It will be a not-unfamiliar early kickoff for the Reds away to newly promoted Ipswich Town. Things have looked brilliant throughout the club’s American tour. Wins against Real Betis, Arsenal, and Manchester United have the squad returning home with some well-deserved confidence. Better yet, that confidence is being built up in some fringe players on the roster. But despite all the smiles, there are two questions still at the forefront of every LFC fan’s mind. Where are the signings? When do we start to panic?
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Neither question is unjustified. Liverpool is currently the only team in the top five European leagues (as of writing) that has not brought in a single player this window. Our only departures are third-string keeper Adrian, the expiring contract of Joel Matip, and the hologram that people keep trying to convince me is named Calvin Ramsay.
Even with certain players who were all but exiled under Klopp back in the fold and shining, there are still glaring holes on this roster. The amount of firepower needed for the backline and defensive midfield to deal with City and Arsenal this season is greater than ever. With so little time left before the trip to Portman Road, the prices will only go up. To some, all this is a cause for panic.
The Regime Change
The argument I hear the most about quelling fans’ fears is regarding the regime change at Anfield. Arne Slot needs to learn all the players. Michael Edwards, Richard Hughes, and FSG brass will only sell if the price is right. Both of those statements are fair. But on the other hand, they can only be relevant for so long.
Slot knows his system. He at least has a stable grasp on who will fit where and who will struggle to adapt. You don’t need a full season to get that information. And given his track record at Feyenoord, he knows which players he could possibly build up and which will gain nothing from his influence. Unless we’ve already had a troubling communication breakdown, Edwards and company should have Slot’s shopping list in hand.
That is where the front office comes in. Are they trying to nickel and dime both ends of the transfer process? It started innocuously with the whole Sepp van den Berg valuation fiasco. Throughout the summer, we fans saw little to nothing come across the wire. I get that Edwards runs a tight ship so the likes of Fabrizio Romano won’t be screaming “HERE WE GO” about any of our targets three weeks early. But, to have nothing this close to opening day outside of two free departures and a loan out feels weird rather than troubling in my eyes.
Permission To Panic, Sir
Now I am not one to blindly back a team in the transfer market. I can only trust the process to a certain extent. I don’t need leaks. Seeing pictures of decision-makers in random cities does nothing for me. What I would like as a fan though is a statement of intent. If you are doing your homework, at least give me the answers to the first couple of questions on the quiz.
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That is what gives me a bit of trepidation. I don’t want the first window of the Arne Slot era to yield Arthur Melo 2.0. There will be nothing but deaf ears to explanations about “value” and “fit”. In this current climate, especially in the Premier League, you aren’t going to hoodwink a mid-table team into giving up a valuable piece for nickels on the dollar, never mind pennies. Trying to wring out every red cent from a team that is looking at our players will also bring annoyance. You can be the smartest person at the table, but if nobody is willing to sit at that table with you what good is it?
Attempted Levelheadedness
I will try to reign myself back in though. While the season starts on August 17th, the transfer window is open until the 30th. Prices may continue to rise, but new players may become available after the first few weeks.
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A player who maybe had a spot seemingly locked down may fall out of favor with a new manager. Certain clubs may look at their books after a whirlwind couple of months and realize they aren’t in as good of shape as they thought they were. Many other factors may put that specific player in our crosshairs. And from what most of us remember about Michael Edwards, he rarely misses those shots.
So in conclusion, we are all within our rights to question our lack of activity this summer. Running it back against our nearest rivals has no chance of going well. Yet there is still time and until that faith becomes unwarranted, I am going to do my best to keep it and not panic. It is up to this new era of Liverpool Football Club to keep us believers believing.
