Liverpool Fan Delusion Index: Changing The Manager Was Never Going To Be Enough

It was never going to be that simple: change the manager - change your fortune, and unfortunately for Liverpool fans, it is dawning on them now with this weird transfer window.

Replacing Arne Slot with Andoni Iraola was an important decision, but it did not solve the structural problems within the squad or the instability surrounding the football operation. Liverpool are rebuilding after a period of decline, and that process was always going to be longer and more complicated than appointing a new manager.

The problem is that parts of the squad still look unfinished, while the people responsible for fixing them are themselves preparing to leave.

Michael Edwards is departing, Richard Hughes is also heading towards the exit, and Liverpool allowed Hughes to oversee a crucial transfer window despite reports linking him with simultaneous involvement in Al Hilal's recruitment. That has understandably frustrated supporters. Liverpool need clear long term planning, yet they are asking an outgoing executive to make decisions that could shape the squad for years.

There have been good additions this summer. Victor Muñoz has looked electric, Jérémy Jacquet has shown plenty of promise, and Ronald Araújo's arrival on loan looks like smart business. None of that changes the fact that Liverpool still have major problems in positions that have required attention for years.

The biggest of them is defensive midfield.

Liverpool Still Have Not Solved The No. 6 Problem

Liverpool have not properly replaced Fabinho. That alone is a damning statement.

Ryan Gravenberch's title-winning season in the position delayed that conversation, because he performed so well that Liverpool could convince themselves the problem had been solved. It was not.

Gravenberch deserves enormous credit for adapting and improving in the role, but he has never been a natural No. 6. His best qualities lie elsewhere. He can carry the ball, progress possession, and escape pressure, but Liverpool still lack a specialist midfielder whose primary responsibility is to protect the defence, control transitions, and provide positional discipline.

That has become increasingly obvious over the past two seasons.

Liverpool won the league with Gravenberch excelling there, but one outstanding campaign should not have convinced the club that they no longer needed a specialist. The subsequent seasons have revealed the experiment's limitations, yet Liverpool are approaching another transfer deadline without properly addressing the position.

That is what makes the situation baffling.

Liverpool know the profile they lack. The evidence has been visible for long enough. They are still looking elsewhere.

A new manager cannot solve that problem simply by organising the same players differently.

Right Back Is Becoming Another Serious Concern

The situation at right back has also become increasingly difficult.

Conor Bradley was expected to become Trent Alexander-Arnold's long-term successor. He is an academy product; he has already shown his quality and, at his best, he has the intensity and aggression Liverpool want from a modern fullback.

His injuries have prevented him from building momentum.

Bradley has not been able to put together the consistent run of matches required to properly establish himself, leaving Liverpool without the stability they expected from the position.

Jeremie Frimpong has only added to the uncertainty.

Frimpong is a very confusing footballer. He does not look like a conventional right back, nor does he consistently provide the defensive security required from a modern fullback in a side that wants to compete for major trophies.

He operates somewhere between a winger and a fullback, which can be useful in the right tactical system but also creates obvious problems when the team needs defensive structure.

Liverpool have therefore moved from one of the most secure positions in their previous era to one of the least convincing areas of the squad.

That is a significant drop-off, and supporters can see it.

Barcola Is A Huge Signing, But It Does Not Fix Liverpool's Problems

Bradley Barcola should excite Liverpool supporters.

He has the talent, experience and profile to become one of the best wide players in the Premier League. There is genuine reason to believe that Liverpool could be signing a player capable of reaching the level of Sadio Mané or Mohamed Salah.

But Liverpool cannot allow the excitement around Barcola to distract from the rest of the squad.

Signing another elite left winger does not solve the defensive midfield problem.

It does not solve right back.

It does not fix the wider imbalance in the squad.

There is also the Cody Gakpo situation.

Barcola's arrival could push Gakpo towards the exit, particularly with Manchester City increasingly linked with the Dutchman. That would weaken Liverpool's squad even if Barcola proves to be an upgrade in the long term.

Now, for the time being, it looks like Gakpo’s move has been blocked by the club, but things change quickly on deadline day.

Gakpo is not simply another player occupying a place on the bench. He brings Premier League experience, Champions League experience and a proven understanding of Liverpool. Losing him while he is still capable of contributing at a high level would reduce the squad's depth and potentially strengthen a direct rival.

That is the caveat attached to the Barcola signing.

Liverpool could complete one of the biggest deals of the summer and still come out of the window with obvious weaknesses untouched.

There are also growing murmurs among supporters that Liverpool could delay announcing Barcola until the final stages of the window, allowing the signing to dominate the closing stages of the window.

If that happens, it will not change what fans have watched throughout the summer.

Liverpool needed more than one marquee winger.

Liverpool's Problems Are Being Made Worse By The Chaos Above The Pitch

The uncertainty around Liverpool's football operation is now difficult to ignore.

Edwards is leaving. Hughes is also leaving. The ownership structure is changing, with an Amit Bhatia-led consortium buying a stake in the club.

None of those developments automatically mean Liverpool are in trouble.

Together, however, they create an awkward situation during a major rebuild.

Liverpool are trying to reshape their squad while the structure responsible for building that squad is changing around them. Important decisions are being made during a period of transition, and the lack of continuity is beginning to show in the team's composition.

Squad building requires a clear plan.

Liverpool had one during their best years under Jürgen Klopp.

Currently, there is quality in the squad and money available, but those alone do not create a coherent team. The recruitment has to address weaknesses rather than simply add more talent to positions that are already relatively well stocked.

That is where Liverpool supporters have become increasingly disillusioned.

They do not believe the club lacks ambition.

They are questioning whether the people currently making the decisions have the time, continuity and clarity required to complete the rebuild properly.

Fans Are Running Out Of Patience

The supporters know rebuilding takes time.

What they are struggling to accept is why some of the same problems persist year after year.

Fabinho left, and the club still do not have a genuine specialist No. 6.

Trent left, and the right-back situation remains unsettled.

Barcola could arrive and immediately improve the attack, but his signing could also accelerate Gakpo's departure.

Meanwhile, the executives responsible for shaping the rebuild are preparing to leave, and the ownership structure is changing.

That is too much instability around a club trying to return to the top.

Liverpool will eventually settle.

Iraola deserves time to build his side, and there are enough talented players at the club to give him a strong foundation. Muñoz, Jacquet, Araújo and potentially Barcola could all become important parts of the next Liverpool team.

What Does the Liverpool Fan Index Say?

The FanScanr Liverpool Fan Index reflects the current exact mood.

The fan mood currently sits at 35 out of 100, down two points from the previous period. Of the 1,835 comments analysed, 1,052 were negative compared with just 503 positive, while frustration accounted for 57 per cent. Transfers were the most-discussed subject, with 864 mentions.

The Liverpool fanbase is looking at an unfinished squad, an uncertain football structure and another transfer window nearing its end, then asking why the most obvious problems still remain.

The fans are not deluded for expecting better. The REAL delusion was believing that changing the manager would be enough.

For more football fan sentiment, transfer analysis and stories, visit FanScanr.