Alexis Mac Allister has offered a blunt assessment of Liverpool’s recent past, saying “something wasn’t right” in the squad under Arne Slot before praising the impact of the Dutchman’s successor, Andoni Iraola, for correcting it.

Liverpool began the 2025-26 campaign strongly enough to disguise deeper problems, but those issues were closely tied to the tragic death of Diogo Jota the previous summer. The team’s form then unravelled badly, eventually producing their worst run of results since the rationing period in the United Kingdom after the Second World War.

Even after repeatedly insisting his job was secure, Slot was still dismissed once he had done enough to secure Champions League qualification. Iraola, who had finished one place behind Liverpool with Bournemouth on far fewer resources, was appointed soon afterwards.

The transition has not been seamless. Liverpool have moved away from the control-first approach of the previous regime and towards the more chaotic style associated with Iraola. The progress has not followed a straight line, but the overall trend has been upwards.

Mac Allister underlined that change after scoring twice in Tuesday’s 4-3 Champions League win over Villarreal. “Something wasn’t right in the group and this manager changed it,” he told Amazon Prime. “The way we play is different, I don’t like to compare,” he added, while making a fairly stark comparison.

Iraola himself acknowledged there were issues to address when he arrived. “When I came here, the owners told me everything is not perfect,” he admitted.

Defensive structure had clearly been one of the main concerns. Liverpool’s total of 53 Premier League goals conceded was their worst in the competition since 1993-94.

Iraola’s answer has been a major tactical overhaul. Instead of organising Liverpool around set zones within a defined shape, he has asked them to press opponents directly in a man-to-man system.

“Now it’s more man-to-man,” Mac Allister explained. “You have to communicate less. Last year, it was more like a zonal thing. I like both. In the national team, we do zonal and it works. It’s about us taking the responsibility. It’s one of the changes. Now it’s easier, you think less but run more.”

Just weeks after saying farewell to Liverpool, Trent Alexander-Arnold was unveiled by Real Madrid speaking fluent Spanish and holding a white No. 12 shirt. There was no visible hesitation. At the podium, with reporters and club president Florentino Pérez watching on, he looked ready to leave Anfield behind and step into a new era at the Bernabéu.

Two years on, that promise has not been realised. The player once regarded as the world’s best right back has found life in Madrid far harder than expected, and his progress has stalled badly.

Former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp summed up Alexander-Arnold’s standing in 2024 when he said: “He is one of these stories that not a lot of clubs can write, but he is someone people will talk about in 20, 30 and 40 years,”

During Klopp’s nine years in charge, Liverpool won eight trophies with Alexander-Arnold in the side, including the 2018–19 Champions League and the 2019–20 Premier League. His right foot became central to that success, through free kicks and long passes that gave Liverpool a unique edge. Even when his defensive limitations were discussed, his creativity usually offset them.

He was also made vice-captain, which seemed to place him on a clear path to the Liverpool armband. A boyhood player who joined at the age of six, he had every reason to become the club’s next leader. Yet the lure of Real Madrid proved stronger, and the debate around his departure grew louder as the 2024–25 season went on and he still had not signed a new deal.

Liverpool were winning the league under Arne Slot, but Alexander-Arnold’s future dominated the conversation. After 20 years and 354 appearances, he left for a different challenge, and the consequences have been severe.

Real Madrid hurried to bring him in before the 2025 Club World Cup, but injury denied him a semifinal appearance against Paris Saint-Germain. That turned out to be an early warning. He made only five appearances in 2025–26 before a hamstring injury in September, then a muscle tear in December, disrupted his season. Real Madrid also lost their La Liga lead, lost the Spanish Super Cup final, dismissed Alonso and exited the Copa del Rey.

By the end of the campaign, Madrid were trophyless and Alexander-Arnold had managed 30 appearances and five assists.

His troubles continued when Thomas Tuchel left him out of England’s 2026 World Cup squad. England finished third without him.

Now, in 2026/27, Alexander-Arnold is still struggling to establish himself. Preseason suggested a reset, especially with Dani Carvajal no longer blocking his route, but José Mourinho has preferred Denzel Dumfries. In Real Madrid’s 11 games this season, Alexander-Arnold has been an unused substitute five times.

Mourinho has also turned to Federico Valverde at right back, a choice that underlines the lack of trust in the Englishman. After the 4–1 win over Sevilla, Mourinho said: “It’s not easy for a coach to leave two quality right backs on the bench, but I thought it would be very useful to have a right back with legs and quality to play behind Endrick.”

The issue is that the explanation fits Dumfries more than Alexander-Arnold. For all the scrutiny he has faced, his attacking quality has never been in doubt. Yet at Real Madrid, that quality is still not enough to secure his place.

Ronald Araújo has made it clear that the question of whether he stays at Liverpool beyond his loan spell remains open. The defender, who joined from Barcelona on an initial season-long loan, said it is still too “early” to know what happens next summer.

Araújo’s move came after a difficult period in which he took a mental health break midway through last season and featured only a handful of times across all competitions after his return. At Liverpool, he says he has quickly felt settled.

“I’m trying to enjoy each day, to grow and improve,” Araújo told reporters at a press conference this week, before Liverpool face Villarreal in the Champions League.

“I’m very happy here and so is my family, but it’s still early. I’m very happy because, since I arrived, I’ve felt welcomed not only by the club, but also by the fans. I want to repay them in every training session and every match.”

Liverpool’s agreement includes an option to buy set at a fixed fee of €55 million ($61.7 million, £46.2 million), but the club is under no pressure to decide immediately. Fabrizio Romano’s latest update, via his self-titled YouTube channel, says a call is not expected before February 2027 at the earliest. He added that Liverpool will “take their time”, with no need to settle the issue before June if they prefer to wait.

Finances may play a part in the final decision, along with wider squad planning. Romano also says salary is a major factor, describing the pay from Araújo’s Barcelona contract as “massive.” Liverpool are said to be covering his full wages during the loan, with Capology estimating a weekly base of £210,000, rising to £273,000 with bonuses.

Araújo has made 10 appearances in all competitions, with more than half of them coming at right back because of Jeremie Frimpong’s availability. He has started six times there and twice at centre back, including in the Carabao Cup and in the Champions League win over LASK.

Although centre back is his preferred position, Araújo said the role is not an issue. “It is not a problem for me,” he said. “When I signed for this team, I knew it was one of the possibilities, so it was not anything new to me. I give everything wherever I play.”