“That’s them without him” – former Reds explain Liverpool problem
Liverpool’s Anfield stalemate with Leeds United has sparked renewed debate about structure, balance and what we lose when one key figure is missing.
The goalless draw extended our unbeaten run but did little to quiet concerns about fluency, urgency and attacking cohesion.
Speaking on Premier League Productions (via Reddit), former Liverpool players Michael Owen and Steve McManaman both focused on the same absence.
Owen addressed recent discussion around rotation, saying: “People saying that Mo Salah should have been dropped or rested or whatever.”
McManaman interjected: “Or sold and that he was finished.”
The former Ballon d’Or winner continued: “Sold or whatever, I mean, you know, that’s them without Mo Salah.”
He added that even when the Egyptian is not at his best, his output remains decisive, stating he is “a difference maker, even when he’s not playing well.”
Salah absence exposes Liverpool structure issues
From our point of view, the most telling observation came when McManaman described how disjointed we looked without our No.11.
“There’s no structure when he’s not there,” the former winger said during the broadcast.
He went further, explaining: “Everybody just played anywhere tonight.”
The former Man City man highlighted how unusual our shape became, adding: “We had three right backs this evening… it was Bradley, then Frimpong, then Szoboszlai.”
That lack of defined roles reflected a wider issue that others have already pointed towards following the Leeds game.
Mail Sport journalist Dominic King noted that teams now “fancy their chances” at Anfield, pointing to running statistics that showed Leeds covering more ground than us.
Those numbers help explain why the match felt flat despite dominance of possession and territorial control.
Salah influence still shapes Liverpool identity
John Aldridge’s reaction after the final whistle also fits neatly into this picture.
The former striker described the display as “not good enough,” adding that both performance and atmosphere fell well short of expected standards.
“It seems we’ve lost our DNA,” Aldridge wrote, echoing concerns about drive, desire and attacking clarity.
Against Leeds, Hugo Ekitike missed a big opportunity, we created few clear chances beyond that moment, and our first 0-0 draw in 117 matches underlined the problem.
Yet the table still offers encouragement.
We sit fourth in the Premier League with 33 points, remain unbeaten in eight games, and continue to look defensively secure under Arne Slot.
What Owen and McManaman’s comments underline, however, is how central Salah remains to our structure, spacing and threat, even on quieter nights.
Without him, we may still control games, but the evidence suggests we lose the framework that makes control count.
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The post “That’s them without him” – former Reds explain Liverpool problem appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.