According to a Daily Mail report, Liverpool FC faces far more serious issues this season compared to last year.

Nearly a year after Rio Amorim scored a stoppage-time winner at St James' Park, Liverpool fans descended the long staircase from the upper tier once again, celebrating a late goal.

Last August, they left the stadium singing and dancing. This time they celebrated in much the same way, but with underlying concerns.

As fans made their way home along the A1(M) and the initial excitement faded, everyone connected with Liverpool understood that despite the joy of a last-minute equalizer, the team's current problems run deeper than they did a year ago.

Recall that Liverpool were then the defending champions, and with strong defensive momentum at the start of the season, many observers predicted they would win the title effortlessly—much as many now predict for Arsenal. Today, while some positive signs exist for the team, they are overshadowed by uncertainty.

Twelve months and a managerial change later, this season's opener raised more questions than answers. The issues that led to Arne Slot's dismissal remain evident, and although the team celebrated wildly before the final whistle, fans remained concerned about the campaign ahead.

The primary problem facing new manager Ipswich Portman Road is the midfield—or more precisely, the lack of a reliable defensive midfielder. Both of Newcastle's goals came from counterattacks, and both could have been prevented had Liverpool's midfield not been breached so easily by opponents.

Gravenberch, Wirtz, and last-minute hero Soboslai are all highly talented players, but can this three-man midfield truly function together? All three are naturally offensive-minded players, leaving the back door wide open for opponents to exploit.

This summer, Liverpool has been occupied with finding a replacement for Salah, who just scored on his Premier League debut for Trabzonspor last Sunday. But why has Liverpool been so slow in attempting to sign a defensive midfielder?

This is not a new problem. Throughout last season, McAllister and Gravenberch both performed poorly, and Liverpool has needed a defensive midfielder since Fabinho's departure in summer 2023.

Daniel Sturridge told Sky Sports: "The team needs a defensive midfielder. Liverpool has been saying this for three years. Gravenberch has changed the team's midfield philosophy, but if you analyze this midfield carefully, all three are naturally more offensive-minded players."

"Look at Sander from Brentford. His statistics are very impressive, and at just £39 million, he's not expensive at all."

Both of Newcastle's goals came from Gravenberch losing possession outside the home team's penalty area. Liverpool's players had to retreat before they could counter, but with no midfield shield to block the counterattack, the defensive line was stretched and ultimately breached.

Think of all the top Premier League teams. Each has players willing to sit deep and disrupt opponents' attacks: Claude Makélélé, N'Golo Kanté, Rodri, Fernando, and Manchester United's legendary midfielders.

Gravenberch performed excellently when Liverpool won the title in the 2024-25 season, but has not returned to that level since. Same with McAllister. Soboslai is a talented player but better suited to a higher role, as is Wirtz, who has largely gone unnoticed throughout the early season matches that matter most to him.

Liverpool still hopes to sign Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain this week and is considering a third bid for Yankuba Minteh from Brighton. With limited options on the wing, signing both players is crucial.

But signing a defensive midfielder is equally important. Even with three world-class attackers, Liverpool will not win trophies if they remain vulnerable to counterattacks as they were in this match.

In Guardiola's excellent Barcelona team, Messi, Xavi, and Andrés Iniesta received the most attention, but Sergio Busquets, number 6, was the most crucial cog in the machine.

Slot believes Liverpool played better in this match, but perhaps they should be content with one point, as for most of the game, Liverpool looked like they would leave empty-handed.

During his time at Bournemouth, he used an industrious, hardworking two-man midfield system with Tyler Adams and Lewis Cook. Currently, the Basque coach appears not yet to have figured out how to balance an overly attack-minded midfield to both drive Wirtz and Soboslai while maintaining defensive stability.

Now is the time for club management to act. With limited backup options, they must ensure that Slot, a talented manager, has the team needed to succeed this season.

Bringing in one or two wingers is certainly good, but a new defensive midfielder should be high on the list of players to acquire, alongside the wingers.

We cannot repeat the words Newcastle fans shouted at Alexander Isak, their former player, but you can imagine the sentiment they directed at him.

Most of the words were four letters long and decidedly unpolite.

Every touch from Isak, valued at £125 million, was met with jeers from delirious home fans at St James' Park.

It was a frustrating day for this Swedish striker. He looked sharp during preseason but could not maintain that form in what was truly an important match for him.

He had few chances but missed them all, much to the home fans' delight. If Liverpool want to succeed this season, Isak and Wirtz must perform better.

## Depth at striker remains a concern

Luis Coumas impressed during preseason, a talented player who can play all three attacking positions, and the manager has praised the Welsh prospect in training.

But seeing him come on as a substitute to try to salvage a point may concern some Liverpool fans.

Luis Coumas is the son of Jason Coumas, a former Premier League midfielder, and spent the second half of last season on loan at Hull City. Although he scored a crucial goal in Hull's promotion push, he sat on the bench for the playoff final.

He deserves a Premier League debut, but fans are right to question why Slot must rely on a player who has spent recent years in the Championship and has had loan spells at Birmingham and Stoke City.

Other wingers had mixed performances in this match. Harvey Elliott looked bright after coming on as a substitute, pressing opponents' defense and earning the foul that led to the winning penalty.

Gakpo's goal was excellent—a long-range strike into the net—and he was Liverpool's most dangerous forward in this match. However, his status remains uncertain due to Tottenham's summer interest in signing him.

Amorim is a talented player with the potential to become world-class in the future, but he could not make a real impact in this match, with just 21 touches. The 17-year-old is better suited to the left wing, and was largely ineffective on the right side in this game. Meanwhile, 2,000 miles southeast, Salah is scoring on his Super Lig debut for Galatasaray, with only about a week left before the transfer window closes. Liverpool still has not found a replacement for the Egyptian star.

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