Liverpool do not get judged by good intentions. They get judged by trophies, by ***** le races, by whether the team walks onto the pitch looking ready to impose itself on the rest of the division. Last season, that edge was missing far too often, and the wreckage of a campaign that ended with Andoni Iraola inheriting a side in need of repair still hangs over Anfield.
That is why Paul Merson for Sky Sports has landed on a prediction that will probably feel fair to many supporters, second place for Liverpool in 2026-27. It sounds respectable, and after the chaos of last season it would count as progress, but it also comes with a warning. A club of this size cannot drift into becoming permanent runners-up in the conversation before a ball is even kicked.
Merson's focus on Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak makes sense because Liverpool's season may well swing on those two. About Wirtz, he said: "Liverpool's midfield wasn't great last year but I expect Florian Wirtz to have a better season, 100%. I thought it would take time for him to get settled in this league, but he's had a season now. If he doesn't get going this season, you start worrying."
There is no hiding place in that ***** sment. Wirtz arrived with a huge fee, huge expectation and the sort of reputation that suggests games should bend to his rhythm. At times last season, you could see the picture. There were flashes of craft, little bursts of authority, moments where the pitch seemed to open in front of him. Then it faded again. Liverpool need far more than glimpses. They need control, incision and numbers.
If Iraola is to restore conviction quickly, Wirtz has to be central to it. He has to look like the game belongs to him.

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