Hansi Flick’s mention of the importance of ‘team spirit’ at Barcelona pinpointed exactly where Liverpool are going wrong this season.
The former Bayern boss spoke of the importance of winning the right way as his Barca side lead the La Liga table by four points.
Meanwhile, Arne Slot’s Reds find themselves toiling in fifth, committing to what many perceive to be an unattractive brand of football in 2025/26.
Whilst Flick was far from making a pointed claim about Liverpool, it serves to show that the Merseysiders have lost much of the team spirit that served them well under Jurgen Klopp. Not to mention during Slot’s first season in charge of the eventual Premier League winners.
🚨 Hansi Flick: “At Barcelona it’s not just about winning… it's how you do it”.
“You have to have a team spirit”. pic.twitter.com/5cMtbcfc6q
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) March 17, 2026
It conveniently mirrors comments issued by former Red Jamie Carragher in his analysis of Liverpool’s dire display in their 1-1 draw with Tottenham at the weekend.
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“Liverpool are not a team, they are a team of individuals,” the 48-year-old told Sky Sports.
“Of quality players? Yes. Just dropped in, no cohesion. You can see that on the clip, and that’s what they’ve lost. And that is the most important thing for Liverpool Football Club.
“I never think of Liverpool as this fan Zidane team with all superstar players. It’s always about top players, but being a team.”
Liverpool feel incredibly passive compared to the prior campaign. If they hold the lead going into the second-half, there’s a near overwhelming sense that they’re destined to throw it away in the second 45.
The simple fact is that we’re not doing enough in either half – be it to kill off the game in the first 45 or see things out in the second.
BBC Sport found that we could have picked up 60 points at this stage of the season had we not conceded after the 90-minute mark against eight opponents in the Premier League.
Forget the title defence – that’s an inexcusable stat for any side that considers itself a serious contender for Champions League football each season.
And we’re not going to change things until the style of football becomes more positive and everyone starts working as a collective.
Failing that, Arne Slot will just find himself sleepwalking to an eventual, and deserved, sacking at the end of the season.
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