'It was a poor performance' - Alisson Becker questions Liverpool mindset after frustrating Fulham stalemate

Liverpool’s pursuit of a third consecutive victory was brought to a grinding halt on Saturday as they were held to a frustrating draw by Fulham. Despite the clean sheet, Alisson was far from satisfied, pointing to a lack of mental sharpness as the primary reason for the dropped points. The goalkeeper was honest about the team's shortcomings, admitting that the collective display fell well below the standards expected at the club.

Reflecting on the result and his own role in the stalemate, Alisson stated: “It’s important to be always ready to help the team – but it was a poor performance, in some moments even from myself, but from the team. Collectively, we didn’t play well. Many things we tried to do, we couldn’t do it well. We couldn’t press them well."

"Obviously, it’s a big challenge to play Wednesday night and Saturday evening, and you have another game Tuesday. But we need to get the right mentality to do that and I think it wasn’t the case today."

The match saw Liverpool struggle to break down a well-organised Fulham side that looked comfortable under pressure. Alisson noted that the team’s inability to execute their tactical plan effectively allowed Fulham to grow in confidence. There was a particular concern regarding the risks taken in possession, especially during a first-half incident where the Reds nearly gifted Fulham a goal after losing the ball deep in their own territory.

"Sometimes teams who want to play take some risks. Sometimes it doesn’t go the way you want – maybe it is not the perfect pass, maybe it is too risky. But then the important thing is what you do after that and you have to adapt. Because if you come to the game and prepare something and it doesn’t go well, that’s the challenge you have – what you are going to do in the next moment you’re going to have the ball? That was important for me and for the team to try to do the best as we could against a team who was really well organised, pressing high," Alisson explained.

"With the ball they have quality, they are comfortable on the ball. We tried not to let them be comfortable on the ball, but they have their qualities. And we didn’t create as many chances as we expected that we would create, that we could create. That’s the challenge we have to make much better on the next game."

The stalemate came just days after a grueling victory over Atletico Madrid, leading to questions about whether the squad is beginning to feel the effects of fatigue. While Alisson acknowledged the toll that top-level football takes on the body, he refused to use the schedule as an excuse for the flat performance at Anfield. He insisted that if Liverpool are to challenge for major silverware this season, they must develop the resilience to perform consistently across multiple competitions.

"It takes out, but we recovered the best way we could. This is the challenge for every big team who are playing in all competitions. If we want to do something special this season we have to cope with that. To play a big game on Wednesday night, another one on Saturday, then next Tuesday you have another one, then on Sunday again. It’s what we want. But you need to have the right mindset; I think it wasn’t the case from what we showed this afternoon. Deep inside we have it, we just need to put it out," he noted.

Despite the setback, Alisson spoke positively about the progress being made under Iraola. The transition to a new coaching staff is a work in progress, but the goalkeeper is confident that the foundations are being laid for future success. However, he warned that Liverpool cannot afford to drop points if they wish to achieve their lofty ambitions for the campaign.

"It’s not easy. That’s another thing as well that is a challenge – when you change manager. But he is doing really well, he is helping us in so many ways. On a daily basis as well, preparing the team as best as he can. His staff as well [are] helping everyone; we have a good environment as well, a good atmosphere in the training ground. Everybody is excited about the new signings as well, about the quality we have in our squad," Alisson stated.