The Salah Question And Full-back Dilemma: What Must Slot Do To Rejuvenate Liverpool?

Make a telephone connected Salah

For almost nan entirety of Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool career, Anfield would person been successful uproar complete nan striker being withdrawn moments aft their squad had fallen down and pinch nan timepiece ticking down connected different defeat. Especially facing Manchester United, against whom he has scored a grounds 16 goals. Not connected Sunday. Salah’s 85th-minute substitution for Jeremie Frimpong was accepted arsenic a basal past propulsion of nan dice pursuing different mediocre show from nan Egypt international. The guidance to nan move was telling. Salah’s guaranteed spot successful Liverpool’s starting lineup is nether threat for nan first clip since he joined much than 8 years ago. The threat would beryllium greater if Federico Chiesa aliases Frimpong, nan only existent alternatives connected nan right, made arsenic overmuch of an effect erstwhile starting arsenic they do disconnected nan bench. There are nary replacements of Salah’s level successful nan squad for nan strategy that Slot operates. Any dip successful shape by nan 33-year-old is truthful felt acutely. Whether it is helping Salah by selecting a much settled broadside astir him, aliases rewarding Chiesa’s lively cameos pinch a starting role, Slot has a pressing rumor to reside connected nan usually phenomenal broadside of Liverpool’s guardant line.

Realise consequence tin bring reward but besides chaos

Slot has an enviable array of attacking talent and is ne'er acrophobic to deploy it. The attack is laudable, portion of nan attraction of watching his Liverpool team, and brooked nary arguments erstwhile it resulted successful precocious wins complete Bournemouth, Newcastle, Burnley and Southampton this season. But, arsenic nan caput coach conceded connected Sunday, it tin besides create an imbalance and time off a struggling defence further exposed. Slot insisted nan introductions of Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz and Curtis Jones successful nan 62nd infinitesimal and Chiesa’s successful nan 72nd were basal pinch Liverpool looking to overturn a 1-0 shortage for nan 4th crippled successful succession. The champions’ brightest play followed. However, Slot besides blamed Harry Maguire’s victor from Liverpool’s latest set-piece failing connected having “seven aliases 8 offensive-minded players” connected nan pitch. “It’s not an excuse but possibly nan logic why nan building successful defending group pieces against Palace and now is not arsenic cleanable arsenic we usually are,” he said. Slot’s substitutions contributed to Liverpool’s title triumph past play but astatine a clip erstwhile his squad are adjusting to truthful galore signings it whitethorn thief to limit disruption from nan bench. Liverpool’s affirmative attack will not and should not alteration but nan calm power of past play has fixed measurement to immoderate chaotic performances. “We are a squad who do not effort to support nan draw, particularly astatine home,” said Virgil van Dijk aft nan United defeat.

Arne Slot blamed Harry Maguire’s victor from Liverpool’s latest set-piece failing connected having ‘seven aliases 8 offensive-minded players’ connected nan pitch. Photograph: Carl Recine/Getty Images

Recall Robertson

There is nary disguising nan difficult commencement Milos Kerkez has made astatine Liverpool, nevertheless overmuch Slot has tried to take sides nan Hungary world and chap caller full-back Frimpong. The era of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson competing for a grounds number of Premier League assists and unlocking debased blocks – it is not a caller conundrum that Liverpool are facing – is over. Their replacements, though Conor Bradley is vying for that mantle pinch Frimpong astatine correct back, are not astatine nan aforesaid level. Not yet, astatine least, pinch some taking clip to settle. Ruben Amorim targeted Kerkez’s near flank astatine Anfield and was rewarded pinch Bryan Mbeumo’s extremity aft 62 seconds. More could person followed from that area successful nan first half. The clear disconnect betwixt nan £40m signing from Bournemouth and Van Dijk was encapsulated erstwhile some went for nan aforesaid transverse successful nan 2nd half and Kerkez almost face-planted nan shot into his ain net. Playing Kerkez whitethorn good beryllium nan only measurement to build a rapport but it feels Robertson, yet to commencement a Premier League crippled this season, has been jettisoned prematurely. Last play was his first indifferent run successful a Liverpool garment and came aft he had rushed backmost from a superior ankle injury. With protect betterment basal to halting a damaging tally of losses, nan Scotland skipper should beryllium recalled.

Devise a clear plan

Slot appears for illustration nan spoilt kid astatine Christmas successful having much costly caller toys than he knows what do with. The reality of turning a summertime transportation strategy that could costs up to £450m into a cohesive unit, and maximising nan individual talent, is proving overmuch much difficult than galore anticipated. Slot’s triumphant debut play centred connected building connected and tweaking nan foundations put successful spot by Jürgen Klopp. Chiesa was nan only summation to nan elder squad past summertime and hardly featured arsenic Liverpool comfortably won nan title pinch a consistency of style and squad selection. Now, aft a summertime of upheaval, Slot is trying to accommodate Wirtz, bring Alexander Isak up to velocity aft a pre-season successful effect spent connected onslaught astatine Newcastle and present Ekitike. The imaginable £79m signing from Eintracht Frankfurt tin count himself unfortunate to person been connected nan chair connected Sunday down nan £125m grounds recruit. Ekitike made much of an effect than Isak erstwhile introduced although, arsenic Slot pointed retired connected Friday, Liverpool made a superior finance successful nan Swede for what he will bring complete nan adjacent six years, not complete nan first fewer weeks. Wirtz is nan bigger rumor among Liverpool’s costly caller arrivals. Whether it is his position successful nan side, and nan knock-on effect for nan midfield down him, aliases nan strength of nan Premier League, nan Germany world is intelligibly yet to person Slot. In 3 of Liverpool’s past 4 convention games, each 1 an juncture against Everton, Chelsea and United, nan imaginable £116m signing has started connected nan bench.

Hugo Ekitike tin count himself unfortunate to not person started against Manchester United. Photograph: Ryan Browne/Shutterstock

Ensure defeats do not drain confidence

Liverpool find themselves successful unfamiliar territory arsenic they digest 4 consecutive defeats for nan first clip successful 11 years. A 5th consecutive nonaccomplishment connected Wednesday astatine Eintracht Frankfurt successful nan Champions League would beryllium almost unheard of. The past clip that happened was successful 1953. Slot claimed nan magnitude of chances Liverpool created against United was a motion that assurance remained unaffected and arsenic bully an parameter arsenic immoderate that results will soon turn. But worry was unmistakable astatine Anfield connected Sunday, successful nan capacity of nan players and nan vexation of nan crowd. It did not gone unnoticed by Van Dijk. The Liverpool skipper said: “The first half we didn’t do nan correct thing, we were excessively rushed. The emotion astatine Anfield was a spot for illustration that, particularly nan first half. Second half we kept fighting and recovered an equaliser but successful nan extremity we had nothing. I deliberation everyone possibly felt a spot for illustration that [anxious]. You tin understand it. Coming backmost aft nan world break aft 3 losses connected nan bounce everyone wants to spot a bully performance, including ourselves.” There was small reassurance to beryllium recovered successful conclusion by United. Slot cannot spend for worry to deepen successful Germany.