Liverpool’s New Attack: Life After Salah and Tactical Shifts

Just over two months since Mohamed Salah walked away from Anfield, Liverpool are still learning how to breathe without him. The goals, the gravity, the guarantee on that right flank – all gone. In his place, a new idea, a new manager, and a front line turned on its head.

Andoni Iraola hasn’t tried to clone Salah. He’s ripped up the template.

Barcola and the Inverted Liverpool

Instead of chasing a like-for-like, left-footed winger to hug the right touchline, Liverpool went the other way. They changed the shape of the attack entirely.

Bradley Barcola is the statement. One of the most expensive signings in the club’s history, brought in from Paris Saint-Germain on the back of 13 goals and seven assists last season. Not a Salah-style left-footer on the right, but a right-footed forward who comes alive cutting in from the left.

In effect, Liverpool have flipped the picture. Where Salah once drove infield from the right, Barcola now does it from the opposite side. The danger is still there, just mirrored. The rhythm of the front line has changed, and so has the balance of the squad.

Because with Barcola planted on that left, Iraola now looks across to the other wing and sees a problem.

A Vacancy on the Right

The early experiments haven’t fully convinced.

Teenage talent Rio Ngumoha was handed a start on the right against Newcastle. It looked like what it was: a gifted left-sided player asked to work against his instincts. He struggled to influence the game from that flank.

Cody Gakpo, used there against Nottingham Forest, fared slightly better, but not enough to make the position his own. Gakpo’s versatility keeps him in the conversation, yet he still appears more comfortable drifting centrally or off the left than patrolling the right touchline.

So Iraola turns to a different profile: Víctor Munoz.

The new signing, he believes, might be the closest thing to a natural fit for that role.

“Víctor has played more games on the left in his career but has maybe been even better on the right,” Iraola said before Liverpool’s Premier League trip to Ipswich Town. It’s a telling line. Munoz may not have been bought as “the new Salah”, but his ability to operate from the right could quietly define Liverpool’s attacking identity this season.

Developing Ngumoha, Trusting Munoz

Even with Munoz ready-made for that channel, Iraola refuses to abandon the long-term project.

Ngumoha, in his eyes, is too talented to be boxed into one side of the pitch. The manager wants him to stretch his game, even if the early returns are uneven.

“We know Rio can play on the left and showed his qualities,” Iraola said. “He needs to develop on the right so it gives him more options to play. He is so young. [But] because he wasn't incredible in the first game on the right, we can't say he will never play on the right anymore.”

It’s a clear message. Munoz may be the present on that flank, but Ngumoha is very much part of the future. Iraola is willing to live with a few rough edges now to build a more flexible, unpredictable attacker later.

The Ipswich Test and Isak’s Supply Line

The next examination of this reshaped forward line comes on Friday against Ipswich Town. It’s more than just another league fixture; it’s a live test of whether this inverted setup can consistently hurt Premier League defences.

One player stands to gain a lot if the right side clicks: Alexander Isak.

The Swedish striker, imposing and ruthless inside the box, feeds on service. He doesn’t need to drift all over the pitch when the ball reaches him early and accurately. A more traditional winger on the right – someone willing to stretch play, hit the byline, or whip in early crosses – could turn Isak into a constant menace.

That’s the tactical equation for Iraola now. Barcola cutting in from the left, a more orthodox outlet on the right, and Isak waiting between the posts. If the supply lines are right, the goals should follow.

Gakpo’s Place in the New Order

Amid all this tactical reshaping, Cody Gakpo’s role remains a live topic.

Manchester City and Tottenham both showed late interest in the Dutchman during the summer, but Liverpool held firm. Gakpo stays, and he stays important. His ability to play across the front line and drop into pockets between the lines gives Iraola options in a squad still settling into its new identity.

He may not be the first-choice answer on the right, yet his minutes will not disappear. In a season defined by adaptation after Salah, Gakpo’s versatility could prove crucial as Iraola searches for the right blend.

Liverpool’s attack is no longer built around one man on the right touchline. It’s a moving puzzle now – Barcola inverted on the left, Munoz and Ngumoha vying for the right, Isak waiting in the middle, Gakpo circling the picture.

The question is no longer who replaces Salah. It’s how quickly this new structure can become just as terrifying.