Arne Slot wants to bolster Liverpool's defensive options in Januaryplaceholder image
Arne Slot wants to bolster Liverpool's defensive options in January | Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Liverpool limped to a draw against Sunderland with Arne Slot’s tactics leaving a lot to be desired.
One of the main reasons why Liverpool won the league last season was because of Arne Slot’s pragmatism. Unfortunately, it is now one of the main reasons why the Reds find themselves almost certainly out of the Premier League title race.
The points difference might not be insurmountable, but it is the manner in which points are being dropped and the inconsistency from game to game as a collective and from individual players. The manager can no longer avoid the harshest scrutiny either with his tactics either not working, or the players not listening to what he wants them to do.
Arne Slot gets Liverpool game plan and selection wrong
Not only has there been a fall off from players who were key members of the title winning squad, but too many new signings simply haven’t got up to speed. Even if they will, in all likelihood, come good eventually, there is no getting away from the dismally meagre return that Liverpool have seen from their near £250m investment in Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz either.
The reality Liverpool now find themselves in is one where Slot is playing the same players who are making the same underwhelming contributions whilst there are others who haven’t had a fair crack of the whip. Cody Gakpo has solid numbers for the season, but on too many occasions he offers nothing in terms of overall play. At right-back, every player who has had a chance has failed to make any real impact and yet Calvin Ramsay is still playing in the Under-21s.
Slot was impressed with his Anfield debut against Crystal Palace despite the 3-0 scoreline, as were fans, and yet he hasn’t been seen since. The one thing that the Scotland international offers is something in the final third and the sort of passing range that Trent Alexander-Arnold used to good effect from the same position.
Jamie Carragher fumes at “awful” Liverpool
Jame Carragher was on co-commentary duty for Sky Sports and was far from impressed with what he was watching. A ponderous display that failed to show any urgency until it was too late, and when they did pick up the pace, there was little quality to go with it.
Midway through the first-half, the signs were there with Carragher complaining: “Liverpool have been awful. They are sleepwalking through the game, everything feels so slow." Things got worse in the second-half when Sunderland opened the scoring and it wasn’t a surprise given how poor the home side had been: "You can't say Sunderland don't deserve it,” complained Carragher, “Liverpool have been awful. Sunderland have been so much sharper. Van Dijk turns his back. That goal sums up Liverpool in this game."
He then said the quiet part out loud by questioning the application and influence of Liverpool’s record signing: "How long is it before we stop saying Alexander Isak hasn't had a pre-season? We're in December now." A valid point given how little impact the Swede had on proceedings. "In some ways I think Sunderland will be disappointed with a point. Liverpool have been really worrying,” something that Carragher has been saying since Matchday One.
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