The man in the dugout, by virtue of their team selection and formation, has to shoulder the responsibility when things aren't going as well as everyone expects, though the knee-jerk reaction of some club boards isn't helpful in such situations.
Slot the fall guy
Just a year after winning the Premier League title at a canter, Liverpool ruthlessly dispensed with Arne Slot.
A poor 2025/26 campaign saw the Reds squeak into the Champions League qualification places, but finish some 25 points behind eventual winners Arsenal.
Whilst a well-publicised fall-out with Mo Salah and behind-the-scenes turmoil might have played a part in the board's decision, the players themselves have to take a really good look in the mirror.
Some certainly can't be absolved of blame, and they too need to acknowledge the part that they played.
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Alisson routinely escapes criticism
One player who routinely escapes criticism from the wider press is goalkeeper Alisson Becker, though the Brazilian arguably hasn't been at his best for some while now.
Again on Sunday in Liverpool's first fixture of the 2026/27 season, he was found wanting at times. Perhaps no more so than when Anthony Elanga burst forward for Newcastle, and the Brazilian got his angles all wrong, allowing the winger to slot home the opening goal with ease.
Though it was expected that Giorgi Mamardashvili would take over the No.1 spot at Anfield, that situation hasn't yet come to pass, and with Andoni Iraola naming the Brazilian as one of the club's vice-captains, one suspects that the status quo will remain until the manager wants to rotate or if Alisson picks up an injury.
His sweeping duties - 18 successful from 19 attempted during 2025/26 - can't be sniffed at, and may largely be why his shortcomings elsewhere have been overlooked.
Disappointing save percentage
A ball-playing goalkeeper in the modern game is certainly advantageous, but when the same player has only posted a save percentage of 55.74% from attempts against him from inside the box, questions surely have to be asked.
This particular stat only rises slightly to 63.53% for all attempts in last season's Premier League, and for a team that wanted to be near the top of the table, that was clearly never going to be good enough.
In terms of his passing, if one were to take his overall stats in isolation, Alisson would arguably fare quite well.
Woeful UCL stat
For his 25/26 EPL campaign, 79.02% accuracy sounds more than acceptable, but if you drill down further into the detail and consider his long passes, it gives a wholly different picture.
Just 27.4% success on those passes into the final third, which drops to an absolutely woeful 6.25% in last season's Champions League.
Only 59 accurate passes into the opposition's half and 126 failures are another pretty damning indictment of the Brazilian, who could be said to be still in the position only because there isn't a good enough back-up, with respect, to give him real competition.
It's all well and good being able to sweep up behind the back four and make short, sharp passes to the full-backs and/or centre-backs as necessary; however, when you're not coming to claim the ball and command your area, simply punching it away speaks of a custodian lacking in confidence, and that can be contagious.
Are Liverpool biding their time with Mamardashvili?
Of course that works both ways, and if your central defenders are showing a little nervousness in possession, that's bound to transmit to the goalkeeper, who will often be exposed as a result.
Ultimately, things aren't going to change in the goalkeeping department for Liverpool at this point, but with his contract expiring next summer, it means the Brazilian will be free to talk to other clubs from January.
Could it be, in fact, that the club are simply biding their time with Mamardashvili, ready to install him as the new No.1 for the start of the 2027/28 campaign? As wild a suggestion as that seems, it's also a dangerous one, for it relies on the Georgian to spend another season in the shadows.
It's worth posing the question, then, as to whether the Reds will live to regret potentially allowing Alisson to outstay his welcome...
Jason Pettigrove has been the features writer for Flashscore since 2025, utilising Opta data to form the basis of his articles. He has previously worked for high profile football clubs, news and media outlets, both in print and digital, and can usually be found watching FC Barcelona when time permits. You can read more of his pieces here.
