Liverpool head coach Arne Slot must return to his philosophy after a 3-0 defeat to rival Manchester City. The fifth Premier League defeat of the season leaves the Reds in eighth place, eight points behind Arsenal.
Liverpool enjoyed a high-spending summer and made numerous changes within the squad, signing proven players to strengthen their title-winning squad. However, the drastic changes immediately raised many questions about the balance of the team and Slot’s philosophy that helped Liverpool.
Last season, the Dutchman inherited a strong team from legendary manager Jurgen Klopp and only made philosophical tactical changes. Instead of the highly exciting attacking style that Klopp implemented, Slot took a more balanced approach at Liverpool.
During his early days as Liverpool head coach, Slot revealed his philosophy to Jamie Carragher in an interview with Air sports. He said:
“Liverpool used every moment they could to get the ball in the back [before]. That meant that the game was a bit open at times, especially in Jurgen’s last period. Sometimes I tell the players they need to get a better understanding of risk and reward.”
Liverpool showed Slot’s philosophy in the first season, showing more control in possession rather than always bombing forward. The philosophy allowed the team to control space and emphasize both the defensive and attacking sides.
Although Liverpool enjoyed an incredible Premier League season, they showed vulnerability against physically imposing sides. Their battle against Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United, among others, made it necessary to be more physically imposing in certain matches.
However, Liverpool opted to sign several attacking players, including more attack-minded full-backs in Milos Kerkez and Jeremy Frimpong. While these signings are impressive on paper, they raised questions about the balance of the squad as a whole.
Newcomers Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike, together with Florian Wirtz, are already an incredible attacking addition. To balance their arrival, many assumed Liverpool would recruit more balanced defensive options even in wide areas.
Another uneven performance: Manchester City exposed Liverpool
Every moment counts during a football match, and there’s no denying that referees cost Liverpool a huge amount against Man City. The wrongly disallowed goal only adds to the long list of high-profile bad decisions made by officials against the Reds.
However, both Liverpool fans and Slot know that the performance itself never merited anything from the match. A disjointed Liverpool is completely out of balance from top to bottom, with players struggling with both individualistic and collective form.
Speaking after the match (via Liverpool Echo), Slot admitted that his game plan against Man City should be blamed on the players. He said:
“It was difficult for some of our players to make the right decisions at the time. It wasn’t about my players not wanting to make duels, they had to run a lot because they were so much better on the ball than us. Our players were sometimes late. I would first and foremost look at our and their game plan and not blame my players at all.”
Player Factor: Several high-profile names need to be held accountable
Mohamed Salah’s loss of pace and guile to beat defenders at the age of 33 is understandable, but his overall struggles are worrying. From poor decision-making to poor application of his technical skills in the final third, the Egyptian has struggled mightily.
Wirtz continues to struggle with the pace of the competition, but he hasn’t received any help from his out-of-form teammates. Meanwhile, Cody Gakpo has also struggled to regain last season’s form despite playing regularly for the team.
However, the biggest problem for Liverpool lies in the defensive aspect of the match, which starts with Ibrahima Konate. The Frenchman’s ongoing contract saga and future uncertainty have only raised doubts about his commitment among the fanbase.
At the same time, after numerous instances of poor performance and high-profile mistakes, Konate must take responsibility for his actions. While players like Kerkez can claim that they have just arrived in a team that is struggling to find balance, Konate as one of the experienced players has no excuse.
Rest assured, any possible path to recovery begins with Slot turning things around at Anfield before his job becomes unstable. The Dutchman must return to his previously successful philosophy, as there was never a need to change the formula that worked so well last season.
#Unbalanced #Liverpool #Slot #return #risk #reward #philosophy #abandoned