Following the 2-1 defeat away to Chelsea, Liverpool have now suffered three successive defeats in all competitions for the first time since March 2023.
Is this just a mini crisis or a cause for concern?
Though the Reds have five wins from their first seven game, those victories have been far from convincing, especially the 1-0 win at Burnley.
Defence A Concern: Bradley/Szoboszlai For Frimpong?
Embed from Getty ImagesWhen we examine the starting XI for the Chelsea game, the Reds opted to go with Connor Bradley instead of Jeremie Frimpong, who they had brought in for that position.
He then shifted Dominik Szoboszlai to that position, instead of taking Bradley off for Frimpong.
When you buy a top replacement for somebody like Trent Alexander-Arnold, why doesn’t he start?
If you want to defend your title, you need to get your best XI on the pitch for as many games as possible.
It almost felt as though Liverpool were trying to secure a draw rather than a win.
Micah Richards and Alan Shearer also expressed their concerns with Slot’s team selections on the Rest Is Football podcast with Gary Lineker.
“As you know, I was in Istanbul when they [Liverpool] played Galatasaray. We watched them last weekend against Palace also, and they’re really poor defensively. They’re yet to find a balance, and what would concern me is that they’ve brought [Jeremie] Frimpong in to play right-back, they’ve got Conor Bradley also in there to play right-back. Bradley started [vs Palace], [Slot] took him off because he’s got a yellow card in the first half.
Shearer: The Mirror
You have to say that Shearer is spot on, as they look completely out of ideas, and have become easier to play against.
Reds Boss Arne Slot insisted that he did not want to risk players who had just come back from injuries.
“Conor Bradley has been out with an injury in pre-season that brought him into the season with an injury, and Jeremie Frimpong the same. “They’ve came back from their injuries, but like Alexander Isak, we don’t believe it’s possible that if you’ve been out for three or four weeks with an injury, that you can play three or four games in a week.”
Slot: One Football
But to do this in a game against Chelsea, who are a team that is capable of beating anyone on their day, is quite a naive move.
The amount of space Moises Caicedo had in midfield in the first half was just criminal from a Liverpool point of view.
Embed from Getty ImagesHis wonder goal in the 14th minute epitomises the struggles Liverpool has in the team and why Slot’s team selections are problematic.
Robertson A little Out Of Touch Or Getting Old?
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Scotsman has been a reliable full-back for the Reds over the years; however, the way he switched off, to allow Estêvão Willian to score the winning goal, was very much unlike him.
It may just have been a loss in concentration, but for someone as experienced as him, he should do better.
Embed from Getty ImagesIf you look at the goal, he sees Estêvão, but doesn’t react quickly enough to the situation, which then means that the Brazilian winger has an easy tap-in at the near post, as his game awareness was much sharper than Robertson’s.
Robertson, 31, is the age at which most players are past their peak, so their reactions aren’t as quick as they were when they were in their best form.
Can Robertson rediscover his form post the International break, or is he on his last legs as a Liverpool player?
Salah, Isak, And Co. Not Quite Clicking?
Embed from Getty ImagesFollowing the departure of Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez, and Luis Diaz, the Reds spent a total of £365million on replacing them with Hugo Ekitike, Florian Wirtz, and Alexander Isak.
While Ekitike has stepped up to the plate with three goals and one assist in six games, the others are yet to click into full gear.
Don’t think it will be too long though, especially when you have a vulnerable Manchester United defence to face next Sunday.
Perhaps it’s a case of them getting to know each other, especially with the Isak deal getting done on Deadline Day.
Had the deal been done earlier in the summer, we may have seen a sharper Isak.
However, what was so bizarre about Slot’s team selection was the fact that neither Salah nor Isak started the game.
While we acknowledge that Slot was rotating his squad, surely in a big game away at Chelsea, you would want as many of your top players starting?
This would have sent a message to Chelsea and the rest of the Premier League that we’re here and are ready to defend our title.
Besides facing United after the International break, Liverpool faces two tricky tests away at Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League and then Brentford in the Premier League.
These three games could reveal a great deal about the remainder of Liverpool’s second season under Slot.
Is this just a mini crisis or a cause for concern for Liverpool under Arne Slot?
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