“It’s boring!” – Jan Molby slams Liverpool’s recent performances

Liverpool Leave It Late at Nottingham Forest as Jan Molby Questions Direction

Liverpool’s 1 0 win away to Nottingham Forest may have delivered three points, but on Anfield Index, the mood was anything but celebratory. Speaking to Trev Downey, Jan Molby offered a candid assessment of a performance that he felt lacked spark, clarity and identity.

Downey set the tone early, describing the first half as “an embarrassment”, adding that “technique across the board was appalling. Touch, control, passing accuracy.” He pointed to Liverpool being “very reliant on Alli and Virgil and Ibou being solid” and admitted that overall “it was a hard watch.”

Molby, who had not seen the first half live, relayed the reaction of supporters. “The guy on the door that gives me accreditation, he said Joseph Evian… his brother’s a massive Liverpool fan, he’s watching the game at home… and the brother’s going mad… he said it’s the worst I’ve ever seen.” That sentiment, he suggested, was widespread.

On the team selection, Molby explained that alarm bells rang when he heard the manager reference “starters”. “The moment he went starters, I thought, well, okay, he’s going to get as many starters in the starting 11 as he can, which means Szoboszlai will play right back.” Of Curtis Jones, he added, “he played like somebody who weren’t ready and somebody who were disappointed.”

Performance Concerns Despite Nottingham Forest Result

For Molby, the broader issue goes beyond one afternoon at Nottingham Forest. He questioned Liverpool’s inability to impose themselves early in matches. “Can we just try and do something else from the kickoff to make sure we’re in the game?” he asked. “Let’s try and get some motivation and some energy and intensity into our play.”

He admitted he was “a little bit baffled” at how often Liverpool struggle to cope with what opponents bring. Even with a strong record, he challenged the substance behind it. “What’s the record now? Lost two of the last 18 or the last 19. It’s quite incredible, isn’t it?” Yet Downey countered that there have only been “three maybe” genuinely good performances in that run.

Molby’s most damning verdict was unequivocal. “There has not been a single game this season that gives you the feeling that the show’s back on the road. Not a single performance.” He continued, “Not once this season have I done that,” referring to the sense that Liverpool had turned a corner.

Boring Football and Search for Swagger

Perhaps the most striking theme from the Anfield Index podcast was the accusation that Liverpool have become predictable and dull. Downey asked whether, for supporters, “when they’re watching Liverpool, the Champions, it’s boring.”

Molby agreed. “It is because it’s boring, isn’t it?” He shared a conversation with a lifelong fan. “He said, I spoke to his team now. They bore me. He said it is boring. He said, I never thought I’d say that about somebody that he loves as much as he loves his family almost.”

Photo: IMAGO

While results have kept hopes alive, Molby warned that “we’re on the stage now where we need a lift. We need something to lift us, to lift our spirit.” He yearned for a return to identity. “We’ve always done things generally with a swagger… I think that’s what we want to get back to, isn’t we?”

Rio’s Impact and Arne Slot’s Management

Amid the frustration, there was measured praise for young Rio. Molby urged perspective. “Football fans generally struggle to live in the present. It’s either past or future.” He defined the youngster’s current role clearly. “His role is exactly what we saw on Sunday. That is his role here. He’s 17 years of age. He comes on for 15, 20 minutes against teams that are getting a little bit tired.”

He cautioned against overexposure. “He cannot be expected to start Premier League games… especially not now with only so few games to go and we have to win as many as we can.” 

Liverpool left Nottingham Forest with three points thanks to a dramatic late winner, but as Jan Molby made clear to Trev Downey on Anfield Index, deeper questions remain about direction, entertainment and belief. For now, results keep the conversation alive. Performances, however, continue to fuel it.