Angus is an experienced football journalist at Football FanCast, specialising in Premier League reporting, opinion writing and in-depth football analysis. Since graduating from Southampton Solent University in 2022, he has developed extensive experience covering the English game, producing thousands of articles across a wide range of clubs and competitions.  

Before joining Football FanCast, Angus led VAVEL's Brighton & Hove Albion department, gaining valuable experience in club-specific reporting and editorial leadership. He subsequently joined Football FanCast through Snack Media's academy, now part of Valnet, and has progressed into the publication's Opinions and Features team.
 

As one of Football FanCast's longest-serving writers, Angus has covered numerous major developments across the Premier League, combining breaking news experience with detailed features and considered opinions. His work draws on years of reporting to provide context behind performances, transfer activity and the wider issues shaping English football.

Liverpool are not where they want to be this season, but Andoni Iraola is still making progress at the start of his Anfield project.

However, if Liverpool are to threaten runaway Premier League leaders Arsenal this season (who are nine points ahead of the Reds after ten games), they will need to start playing more fluently in attack.

Alexander Isak has seven goals in nine league games this term, but as a unit, Liverpool's mega-money frontline isn't firing on all cylinders. For sure, the likes of Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola need to step up.

Why Wirtz & Barcola still need to improve

Isak, Wirtz and Barcola all directly contributed toward goals as Liverpool defeated Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park before the November international break, but frustration remains over the club's sharpness and coherence in attack.

Liverpool have only scored 14 goals across ten Premier League fixtures in 2026/27. They have created 17 big chances, shockingly placing them 18th in the standings for that metric. It's clear to see that Liverpool have some issues in progressing the ball into dangerous positions, feeding the likes of Isak and Barcola with ample chances from which they can score.

Barcola is yet to break his league duck for the Anfield side, though he has racked up three assists. The France international, who joined from Paris Saint-Germain for £123m this summer, is showing promise, but he needs to offer more.

By contrast, Wirtz is starting to show signs of life after absorbing veritable shellfire on the criticism front for most of his Liverpool career. The German playmaker has actually created 23 chances in the top flight this term, placing him joint-fourth in the standings there. That said, he is struggling to fashion killer moves.

It's all well and good to pick Liverpool's forwards apart. Yes, they all could offer more. However, the midfield is letting them down. Liverpool's centre-midfielders aren't quite ticking, and it's becoming clear (to many, it has been for some time) that the Reds need a progressive central player to fire up Iraola's system and connect all the dots.

Liverpool in talks to sign mega-money midfielder

The crux of Liverpool's struggles right now lie in midfield. Iraolaball is rooted in intensity and plenty of running, with swift transitional play finding the forwards in dangerous positions. Liverpool's midfield simply aren't hitting the right notes there, but one careful signing could make all the difference.

According to The i Paper, Liverpool have joined Chelsea as frontrunners in the race to sign Bournemouth's Alex Scott, who has turned down a contract extension at the Vitality Stadium.

Chelsea saw a £70m offer for the England international knocked back this summer, but a whole host of top Premier League outfits are currently locked in talks with the player's representatives, who have indicated that the Cherries would demand £100m.

If, for example, Liverpool decided to part ways with Mac Allister in 2027 and replace him with Scott, the evidence suggests that the latter would make a bigger impression in Iraola's Liverpool system.

After all, Scott rose to prominence when under the Spaniard's wing. He established himself as a superstar at the Vitality Stadium last season, with England manager Thomas Tuchel hailing him as "the complete package".

Certainly, the likes of Barcola and Wirtz have world-class qualities, but Scott is applying his strengths in the Premier League more smoothly and to a higher standard than those attackers.

There have been signs in recent weeks that Liverpool are inching toward more fluent attacking play, but it does feel like a deeper-lying player of Scott's calibre could be the catalyst for the kind of positive change the Reds fanbase craves.

After all, he's creating over two chances per game in the Premier League this season while operating from the heart of the engine room. That's double Barcola's average (1.1) and almost on par with Wirtz (2.3).

It's clear that Scott is the perfect midfielder for this Liverpool side. Not only because he came into his own under Iraola's management, but because he would offer the exact profile that has been lacking for some time on Merseyside, and it could make all the difference.