Back to basics, says Virgil van Dijk. What basics are they? What does basic mean in the context of a Liverpool team that won the Premier League at walking pace and spent the best part of half a billion notes in the summer making it better?

The signing of Alexander Isak felt like conquest, Arne Slot striding through the gates of St James’ Park on the last day of the window like Alexander the Great, nose in the air, setting fire to the Gallowgate.

The £125m capture of Newcastle’s most important player was a British record that broke the previous mark set by the £115m arrival of Florian Wirtz. Oh, and don’t forget the £69m purchase of Hugo Ekitike, the hottest young thing in Europe.

Slot was entitled to feel good about himself. How could it be otherwise? Managing Liverpool in August appear

See Full Page