Liverpool 0-3 Nottingham Forest: Match Review
Liverpool face PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League but will have three right-backs unavailable.
It was a decision that swathes of Kopites felt Arne Slot got wrong.
The scenario that Liverpool found themselves in meant the call from the head coach was never going to be perfect. There was going to be a flaw in regards to whoever Slot selected.
But large sections of supporters would have had Dominik Szoboszlai at the back of the queue to deputise. The Hungary international has been a beacon of light in a bleak Premier League title defence. And after the Reds fell to a 3-0 loss against Nottingham Forest, their sixth defeat in seven league games, it made Slot’s decision harder to comprehend. Liverpool missed Szoboszlai’s energy and creativity in the engine room.
Slot could have opted for Curtis Jones as a makeshift right-back. Indeed, that tactical tweak was made midway through the second half when the Reds trailed by two goals. It was too late as Forest already had an insurmountable lead and sat deep, with Liverpool failing to break the visitors down.
Dilemmas remain
What many fans will concur is that Szoboszlai should not feature at full-back again. He is required in the middle of the park when Liverpool face PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League on Wednesday.
There are also calls for Gomez to partner Virgil van Dijk in central defence amid Ibrahima Konate’s lacklustre performances. The France international has been highly inconsistent this campaign and endured a poor afternoon against Forest.
Jones might well play at right-back but there’s also an argument he should remain in midfield, especially if Florian Wirtz is still injured. Alexis Mac Allister was another off the pace against Forest, as he has been for much of the season.
Slot does have a fit natural right-back who was on the bench against Forest. Calvin Ramsay earned himself a squad berth in the Premier League for the first time in three years. The one-cap Scotland international was somewhat of a forgotten man at Anfield before he was handed a surprise appearance in a 3-0 Carabao Cup loss to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup last month. While Slot made wholesale changes, Ramsay was Liverpool’s best player on the night.
“I think Calvin had a very, very decent performance,” said Slot. “Calm on the ball. I don’t know if I said it over here but [in] the first half-hour, I think we had better chances than them actually and he was part of that. He played with composure. A decent-to-good game for him.”
The display led to some supporters suggesting that Ramsay deserves more opportunities in the first team, having been confined to the under-21s since the summer. His passing against a fairly strong Palace side caught the eye.
In truth, Liverpool should be expected to put PSV to the sword. The Reds have not struggled in Europe, beating Real Madrid 1-0 two weeks ago. What’s more, with respect to Eindhoven, they lead a Dutch league far weaker than England’s top tier. If PSV were to face the Palace team that played Liverpool in the Carabao Cup, most would be backing the South London outfit.
Ramsay ruled out
However, even if Slot wanted to hand Ramsay a full Champions League debut, it is not possible because of UEFA rules. The former Aberdeen defender is not registered in Liverpool’s Champions League squad for the league phase. He has not been named on List A, with Liverpool restricted to 22 players of a maximum 25 because of their lack of homegrown players. Federico Chiesa was initially omitted from List A but the season-ending ACL injury to Giovanni Leoni meant that the forward was able to be added in his fellow Italian’s place. Meanwhile, Ramsay could not feature on List B because he is over the age of 21.
Youngsters who are still able to be added to List B include under-21 defenders Lucas Pitt, Josh Davidson and Terene Miles. But in truth, it is highly likely that Slot opts for either Gomez, Jones or Szoboszlai.
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