No panic - but is this Liverpool's transitional season coming a year late?

Liverpool's players were subjected to fireworks fto disconnected extracurricular their Istanbul edifice designed to disturb their slumber - but it is simply a 2nd successive nonaccomplishment that must enactment arsenic nan existent wake-up call.

The Premier League champions hardly request to spell into panic mode arsenic they beryllium apical of nan table, but nan informing signs of frailty that person dogged nan early weeks of their run were connected show again arsenic they mislaid 1-0 to Galatasaray successful nan Champions League.

After a seamless modulation pursuing his succession to Jurgen Klopp, nan title won truthful impressively successful his first word successful charge, caput coach Arne Slot has deed nan first existent bumps successful nan road.

On existent evidence, aft spending adjacent to £450m successful nan summer, this whitethorn yet move retired to beryllium Slot's transitional campaign, alternatively than nan soft takeover from Klopp without immoderate awesome acquisitions that followed his presence from Feyenoord.

Alexander Isak, a substitute successful Turkey, is still measurement short of afloat lucifer fittingness pursuing his drawn-out and acrimonious British grounds £125m move from Newcastle United.

And Florian Wirtz, a small cheaper astatine £116m from Bayer Leverkusen, presently looks somewhat mislaid and lightweight while he adjusts to nan gait of life astatine Liverpool.

But this was not a bully nighttime for Slot either.

The Dutchman's aureate touch pinch his decision-making deserted him present successful Istanbul, nan prime to time off Mohamed Salah connected nan chair backfiring. When nan Egyptian was introduced conscionable aft nan hour, Galatasaray held nan lead and nan inaugural pinch Liverpool struggling to create chances.

The past clip Salah was placed connected nan chair for a Champions League crippled was against Rangers successful October 2022. You fishy Slot whitethorn not do it again successful a hurry.

Liverpool, arsenic they were erstwhile beaten astatine Crystal Palace and arsenic they person been each season, were erstwhile again exposed by a Galatasaray broadside that had intelligibly done their homework good nether coach Okan Buruk.

The informing signals were posted successful nan opening moments erstwhile Baris Alper Yilmaz did what different players person done excessively often for Slot's liking. The guardant ran done connected extremity unchallenged, only for keeper Alisson to rescue Liverpool erstwhile more.

Slot utilized caller right-back Jeremie Frimpong arsenic a right-sided attacker, not precisely an enactment of religion successful his protect abilities, pinch recognised midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai moved to defence.

It was Szoboszlai who conceded nan decisive 16th-minute punishment erstwhile he was adjudged to person fouled Yilmaz, Victor Osimhen completing nan formalities amid scenes of adjacent hysteria.

As erstwhile Scotland winger Pat Nevin truthful aptly put it connected BBC Radio 5 Live: "It is truthful un-Liverpool."

After nan nonaccomplishment astatine Selhurst Park, nan travel to Istanbul was arguably nan past point Liverpool needed, stepping into this hostile, fanatical ambiance that is simply a ready-built shape for sporting theatre.

Galatasaray's fans gathered successful their thousands successful nan bars and cafes adjacent to this magnificent arena, built connected a elevation truthful it overlooks Istanbul, hours earlier kick-off.

And nan cacophony wrong besides started hours earlier nan commencement and, erstwhile nan action began, each Liverpool touch was greeted pinch deafening, piercing whistles.

To adhd to Liverpool's misery connected this miserable nighttime successful Turkey, nan outstanding keeper Alisson went disconnected injured successful nan 56th minute aft different prevention from Osimhen, while in-form striker Hugo Ekitike besides limped disconnected later.

One of nan awesome sources of interest successful Liverpool's play truthful acold is nan deficiency of effect from Wirtz.

Here is simply a subordinate intelligibly rich | successful talent and pedigree, who attracted beardown liking from Manchester City earlier choosing Liverpool.

He was nan Bundesliga's aureate boy aft his improvement nether Xabi Alonso astatine Bayer Leverkusen.

Wirtz is playing successful a withdrawn domiciled down Liverpool's striker - Ekitike successful Istanbul - but isolated from 1 changeable successful nan first half that forced a prevention from Galatasaray keeper Ugurcan Cakir, he was erstwhile much peripheral. It near him still seeking his first Liverpool goal.

Even nan champion players sometimes request to furniture in, pinch Wirtz getting to cognize his team-mates and his team-mates getting to cognize him, but Liverpool will dream for a spark of inspiration for their £116m man sooner alternatively than later.

"You're reasoning to yourself 'what is nan plan? What is nan scheme to alteration it massively?" said Nevin, speaking astir Wirtz's role.

"Because you didn't request to alteration much, because it was beautiful bully before."

And we return to nan taxable of Slot's transition, from a Liverpool squad that was virtually untouched from erstwhile he was appointed to winning nan Premier League astatine a canter, to 1 trying to merge a big of caller players.

The preamble of Wirtz has seemingly resulted successful Liverpool being exposed more, though this is not conscionable nan German's responsibility. They do not look arsenic unafraid arsenic they did past play and squad style appears to person been affected.

"I don't spot wherever Wirtz gets into nan team," ex-England skipper Wayne Rooney said connected The Wayne Rooney Show. "I deliberation it was a batch of money. I deliberation Wirtz really damages nan equilibrium of Liverpool and really they play.

"He's a apical subordinate and I'm judge he will get amended - but he's had a slow commencement and I deliberation there's nary denying that."

Wirtz's existent struggles are not down to a shortage of endeavour. He attempted much dribbles aliases shots connected extremity than anyone other for Liverpool successful Istanbul. He will dream his difficult activity is rewarded soon.

Liverpool statistic besides backmost up nan mentation they are now easier to get at, needing precocious goals against Bournemouth, Newcastle , Arsenal, Burnley, Atletico Madrid successful nan Champions League and Southampton successful nan Carabao Cup. They besides conceded two-goal leads against Bournemouth, Newcastle and Atletico.

And, again, you tin comparison nan commencement of this play to nan opening of past - they person had only 2 cleanable sheets successful 10 games this play having kept six successful their first 10 past season.

"Right now they're not location yet," said ex-Liverpool guardant Daniel Sturridge connected Amazon Prime. "When you look astatine nan measurement they're playing correct now they're not nan aforesaid squad arsenic past year. You tin spot nan chemistry is not correct astatine this coming infinitesimal successful this clip - but they person plentifulness of clip to get it right. It's not panic stations."

Slot, perfectly understandably, delivered measured position arsenic he said: "We are not truthful acold disconnected nan level shown past season. This is sometimes what nan schedule tin bring, Galatasaray is not a elemental game. We now play Chelsea away, a difficult game.

"The margins are mini and they were past season. For nan 2nd clip successful a statement we are connected nan incorrect side.

"I saw a batch of things successful nan first half, but nan 2nd half was overmuch less. I don't deliberation successful nan 2nd half location was a batch of playing time, their striker was connected nan level 4 aliases 5 times. It was difficult to get momentum successful nan game."

For each that, however, nan consciousness of calm power and composure that was nan hallmark of Liverpool's title triumph has been mislaid - and was missing again nan fierce surroundings of Istanbul.