Robbie Fowler believes Liverpool’s recruitment strategy during the summer transfer window is the main reason behind their catastrophic form of late.
The reigning Premier League champions were swept aside by dominant Manchester City on Sunday, losing 3-0 after being put to the sword by goals from Erling Haaland, Nico Gonzalez and Jeremy Doku.
Liverpool splashed out £446million in the summer on new signings, twice breaking the British transfer record to lure Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Florian Wirtz for £116m and later Newcastle striker Alexander Isak for £125m.
Despite emptying their pockets on several high-profile stars, Liverpool’s form has plummeted in comparison to last season, with Sunday’s loss against City marking a sixth defeat in their last seven Premier League games.
Fowler, who scored 183 goals for Liverpool during his career and is now a club ambassador, fears his old team are already out of the Premier League title race after just 11 matches.
‘I got asked before the game, “Are Liverpool out of a little bit of a rut?”, and I thought don’t be getting carried away,’ Fowler told Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt on The Good, The Bad & The Football.
Robbie Fowler (left) believes Arne Slot’s Liverpool are already out of the title race and has blamed their poor form on the club’s recruitment strategy during the summer transfer window
The Reds were beaten 3-0 by Manchester City on Sunday and slipped to eighth in the table
Fowler believes Liverpool mistakenly targeted players who don’t fit Slot’s system, naming full-back signings Jeremie Frimpong (left) and Milos Kerkez (right) as examples
‘Okay, they beat Aston Villa but for 45 minutes Liverpool weren’t great and then they beat (Real) Madrid. So it’s only 45 minutes in a league game where they’ve played relatively okay. I think they’re out of the title (race).’
Interjecting, Scholes admitted that he still believed Liverpool could win the Premier League prior to Sunday’s embarrassment at the Etihad, but is now inclined to agree with Fowler after watching the manner in which the Reds were beaten.
‘It was a poor game wasn’t it, from a Liverpool point of view,’ Fowler added, as he began to share his brutal verdict on the club’s expensive transfer window.
The ex-Premier League forward believes Liverpool signed too many players that do not fit Arne Slot’s system – and the Dutchman is struggling to get the best out of his players as a result.
He said: ‘(Jeremie) Frimpong is the biggest example, he was brought in as a Trent (Alexander-Arnold) replacement but he’s a wing-back.
‘And (Milos) Kerkez, he was everyone’s favourite left back last year. When you’re playing for Liverpool or Man United, it’s different playing for Bournemouth or Brentford, because there’s more pressure.’
Frimpong and Kerkez arrived at Anfield in the summer for £29.5million and £40m respectively, bolstering Slot’s ranks at full-back after the controversial exit of Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid.
Hugo Ekitike also arrived for £85m from Eintracht Frankfurt as part of the near £450m spending spree, while teenage defender Giovanni Leoni also joined in a £30m move from Parma.
Liverpool splashed out almost £450m last summer – breaking the British transfer record twice (Pictured: £125m Alexander Isak, back left, and £116m Florian Wirtz, back centre, in training)
Now eighth in the table, Liverpool sit eight points behind leaders Arsenal and four points adrift of City in second.
Reflecting on the Premier League table, Butt said: ‘It’s a horrible feeling that they could win it, City. It was like a statement win – we’re back.’
Scholes added: ‘I know Arsenal are four points clear, but with the experience City have got, and Arsenal haven’t, you’d have to put them slightly ahead (as title favourites).’
