Can Arne Slot Revive This Frankenstein’s Monster Of A Liverpool Side? | Barney Ronay

Before this crippled Arne Slot had announced that he was “almost confused”. Which does astatine slightest raise immoderate tantalising questions. Mainly, what is this Liverpool squad going to look for illustration erstwhile he gets there, erstwhile a authorities of afloat disorder is yet attained, erstwhile moreover Slot’s disorder stops being confusing and reveals its diamond-cut last form.

A 4-1 location defeat, Liverpool’s ninth successful nan past 12 games, felt for illustration a measurement towards that promised end. Or astatine slightest confirmation their play has now reached nan gallows humour shape – 1 of those periods wherever events haven’t conscionable tally distant from you, but look to beryllium openly mocking your champion efforts to drawback up.

Virgil van Dijk had called for a back-to-basics clarity against PSV Eindhoven, doing nan elemental stuff, paring it each back. Cue an bonzer overhead netball‑style Van Dijk handball 5 minutes in, followed by a bafflingly entitled whinge astatine nan referee complete nan ensuing punishment kick.

He has ever been nan barometer of this team’s bully health. Less Van Dijk is ever more. Ideally, he is not playing astatine all, conscionable chugging astir successful a vaguely supervisory role.

He was each complete nan place, booked for a mediocre challenge, whirling astir for illustration a surgery robot for PSV’s 3rd goal. Even his breezily carefree half-time TV advert for a vacation booking app felt jarringly disconnected message. At slightest do thing back-to-basics, Virg. Do an advert for hammers, aliases gruel, aliases quadruple-ply incontinence pants.

Slot still seemed confused astatine nan last whistle, albeit fluently and discursively consumed, for illustration nan skipper of an irreversibly sinking vessel who seems willing supra each successful definite cardinal engineering oddities.

But disorder still does not look nan correct consequence to each this because Liverpool are thing if not predictable correct now. They get overpowered and outrun successful each game.

The 2nd and 3rd goals were truthful acquainted successful their frailties it feels unfair to accuse, say, Arsenal, of relying connected predictable routes to goal. What precisely was this then, this re-run, this group move, arsenic Mo Salah went to situation for a loose shot connected nan near and watched arsenic Anass Salah-Eddine swished past for illustration a man absent-mindedly dodging a precocious thoroughfare postulation cone earlier producing an alarmingly elemental scoring walk for Couhaib Driouech.

Was this really confusing? Because it felt rather a batch for illustration deja vu, a nonstop consequence of refusing to driblet your non‑combatant prima attacker; and different clear lawsuit of origin and effect connected Liverpool’s right, wherever playing down Salah has go an workout successful axenic footballing symptom for whoever is unfortunate capable to inherit nan domiciled that week.

The 3rd extremity progressive nan repetition spectacle of Ibrahima Konaté trying to move and pursuit back, connected 1 of those days wherever he appears to person put his legs connected backmost to front. Here is simply a footballer who has mislaid form, assurance and beingness edge, but has to enactment successful nan squad because a summertime of Gatsby-style spending besides progressive not having capable centre-backs by nan clip August came around. It tin only beryllium assumed that Real Madrid do not watch nan telly much.

Apart from a bully play earlier half-time, Liverpool recovered opponents pinch nan cleanable strengths to expose their ain weaknesses, a vigorous press, unceasing power and speedy breaks.

It is not difficult to activity retired what has happened present successful its astir basal form. Liverpool’s occurrence nether Jürgen Klopp was based astir ever being much intense. Now they are ever little intense. The only existent questions now are wherever has this travel from and is it fixable? Both of which speak to whether location is immoderate existent constituent successful persevering pinch their title‑winning manager, caught now successful a startling authorities of turnaround.

But it is besides important not to confuse outcomes pinch causes. The last form, nan astir visible endgame, is simply a confused, jaded underpowered team. To talk astir standards and players doing more, astir easy notions of cowardice and characteristic flaws. But location are evident guidelines causes.

Selling Jarell Quansah, who helped support Erling Haaland quiet connected Tuesday and spending a grounds interest connected a centre-forward you don’t need. Well, here’s what that looks like.

New players person travel in, excessively galore of them, a dilution of nan corporate will. But this comes from nan head too, whose full occupation is to sphere nan culture.

It looks if not irreversible, past successful request of a difficult re-set. There is nary method, nary existent team, conscionable a Frankenstein’s monster of off-cuts.

Slot’s Liverpool are bully to play against. All their games look losable. Can he really hole nan malaise he has overseen, which he apparently didn’t spot coming? Which is still a root of specified confusion? There is capable talent successful nan squad to build immoderate benignant of squad you like, but this seems to beryllium a awesome portion of nan problem. And this felt for illustration a moment, possibly, of nary return.