Following Liverpool’s frustrating 1-0 Champions League defeat to Galatasaray on Tuesday, former Reds midfielder Jason McAteer argued that the team sorely missed the vocal, on-field leadership provided by former club stalwarts Jordan Henderson and James Milner.
Arne Slot’s side fell behind to a controversial 16th-minute penalty from Victor Osimhen and, despite having the majority of the match to respond, failed to genuinely trouble the Galatasaray goalkeeper.
Speaking on punditry duty for beIN SPORTS, McAteer highlighted the need for aggressive, demanding voices within the current squad to prevent mistakes from festering.
The ‘Milner and Henderson’ Factor
McAteer suggested that during Jurgen Klopp’s successful era, players like Henderson and Milner were essential for maintaining intensity and discipline on the pitch, rather than just in the dressing room.
“Do you know what I worry about? When it wasn’t going well under Jurgen Klopp, they had James Milner and Jordan Henderson – real characters not just off the pitch but on it,” McAteer said.
He described the impact of having such demanding presences: “When those balls were given away tonight, if Jordan Henderson was on the pitch, he was at them. He was pointing the finger at you and it’s like, ‘You don’t do that again’.”
McAteer emphasized the crucial role of immediate accountability: “He demanded a mindset on the football pitch – ‘You don’t give that ball away again. You don’t expose us again, and if we get punished, it’s your fault. Don’t do it’.”
Inexperience Exposed Despite Solid Stats
The loss marks Liverpool’s second consecutive defeat, prompting captain Virgil van Dijk to acknowledge that the team must improve to avoid this brief blip becoming a major slump.
While the current squad is not without senior leadership—Van Dijk himself is a colossal captain, supported by veterans like Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson—the starting XI against Galatasaray was notably youthful. Apart from the captain and goalkeeper Alisson Becker, every other starter was 26 or younger, with seven players under the age of 25.
Statistically, Liverpool’s ball distribution was sound, recording an 84% pass completion rate compared to Galatasaray’s 66%. However, the eye test suggested a different story, with the team coughing up possession cheaply in dangerous areas. Even usually reliable players, such as Ryan Gravenberch, committed uncharacteristic errors that risked compounding the deficit.
With Henderson and Milner now part of Anfield’s past, the onus falls on the current crop of talented 20-somethings to accelerate their development into the demonstrable, vocal leaders Arne Slot’s side desperately needs to navigate tough European nights.
