Mohamed Salah is no longer indispensable
For more than 8 years, taking Mohamed Salah off the field or playing as a reserve player has been a scenario that has not happened at all. However, when the 85th minute of the loss to Man United was over, no one objected when Arne Slot replaced him with Jeremie Frimpong. The audience's reaction speaks for itself when Salah's place in the starting lineup is no longer obvious.
The Egyptian star is in disappointing form. Although he is still moving dynamically, he lacks the sharpness and determination to make a brand. With Slot's attacking system, Liverpool has no replacement of the same class, but letting Salah play at this time has caused the whole system to lose their rhythm. Slot now has to choose between continuing to believe in the symbol or giving opportunities to newcomers like Chiesa or Frimpong, factors that always create a breakthrough when coming off the bench.
Fragile boundaries
Slot has many options up front and is not afraid to take risks. It was the uncompromising attacking spirit that brought late victories against Bournemouth, Newcastle and Southampton. However, the line between adventure and chaos is gradually fading away.
In the match against Man United, Slot sent 4 attacking players onto the field (Ekitike, Wirtz, Jones and Chiesa) to turn the game around. Liverpool played better but then conceded a goal from a corner kick, Slot admitted that it was the consequence of having "7 or 8 players inclined to attack" on the pitch.
Slot's substitutions helped Liverpool win the title last season but now they have created instability. Liverpool still need to attack but more than ever, they need control and balance first.
It's time to call Andy Robertson's name
No one can hide Milos Kerkez's poor start. Although Arne Slot has tried to protect the young Hungarian defender, the reality shows that Liverpool need Andy Robertson more than ever.
When Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson were still struggling on the two wings, Liverpool had scarified the entire Premier League with their ability to create and break deep defensive blocks. Now, Kerkez and Frimpong are still struggling to find a common goal.
The match against Man United clearly showed the problem when Kerkez was exploited by Man United, leading to Bryan Mbeumo's opening goal in just 62 seconds. Kerkez has made many missed positions, even almost coming back from behind. With a struggling defense, Slot has no better choice than to restore confidence in Robertson, who has yet to start a Premier League game this season.
Although the Scottish defender has just endured the worst season of his career due to an ankle injury, his experience and coordination are what Liverpool need to end the failed streak.
The problem of having too many new branded goods
The Guardian newspaper compared Arne Slot to a child at Christmas with so many expensive items but not knowing which to play first. After a summer of spending £484m, Liverpool have added Wirtz, Isak, Ekitike, Frimpong and Kerkez but it is not easy to group them into a team.
Last season, Slot only added Chiesa and still maintained a stable performance to win the championship. For now, he has to experiment, rotate and find a suitable formula. Expected rookie Florian Wirtz has yet to integrate, while Alexander Isak has not reached his best physical condition after a period of strike at Newcastle.
On the contrary, Ekitike showed more desire and efficiency even when only coming on as a substitute. However, Slot still has to balance between transfer value and actual form. The luxury of choice is becoming a tactical burden.
Don't let failure keep you down
Liverpool are going through a series of 4 consecutive defeats for the first time in 11 years. If they lose to Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League in midweek, it will be the first time since 1998 that they have lost five games in a row.
After the recent defeat, Slot tried to reassure: "The number of chances we created against Man United shows that the team is still very confident." However, the reality is different as The Kop fans are becoming more worried than ever. The audience is tense, the players are busy and even the officials like Van Dijk, Salah or Konate are losing themselves.
If Arne Slot cannot extinguish this psychological instability, Liverpool is at risk of another longlide. When trust collapses, every system breaks down.
