Liverpool may need to give an opportunity to a much-loved player after the international break.placeholder image
Liverpool may need to give an opportunity to a much-loved player after the international break. | Getty Images
Liverpool needed a spark against Sunderland and yet Arne Slot still refused to bring Federico Chiesa off the bench until it was too late.
Managers will always have their favourites and Arne Slot is no different with the Liverpool manager turning to the same faces week, after week.
The problem is, these faces have regularly failed to perform throughout the season and one player in particular has every right to feel aggrieved about how much game time he has been getting. Players can’t really knock on the manager’s door and demand to play more often if the team is winning, as the Reds were last season, this year though, there is no excuse for Slot continuing to stick with certain individuals who are flattering to deceive.
Time for Arne Slot to give Chiesa a proper chance for Liverpool
Top of the list is the paradox that is Cody Gakpo. Seemingly immune from being dropped, the Netherlands international rarely influences or dominates a game despite having the best goals and assists record so far this season with his 4/10 player rating against Sunderland being the latest example. Florian Wirtz’s best performances have come when he has been playing on the left, however, Slot is continuing to tinker with the hope that something clicks for the German in the number ten role. His solo effort, albeit credited as an own goal, earned the home side a point against Sunderland, but at this stage of the game, shape had gone out the window.
Wirtz helped earn a draw, but it was Federico Chiesa who prevented Sunderland from heading back up to Wearside with all three points with a goal line clearance. A ten-minute cameo taking his total number of minutes for the season to a pitiful 400, give or take, despite being fit and available for the whole campaign.
It wouldn’t be a surprise if Chiesa forced a move. In terms of minutes played, nobody in Slot’s squad has a better ratio for goals and assists and yet the Italy international is being treated like a fringe player with nothing to offer. Not only does he deserve more minutes, but he deserves to start in place of Gakpo to prove that he can influence games more meaningfully and link up with his teammates to create more good chances.
Has Slot gone back on his word to Chiesa?
What makes matters worse, is that Slot all but promised Chiesa that he would get more minutes in the summer, on one condition: “I see a totally different Federico now than from large parts of last season,” Slot told the media.
“It is completely normal because he missed out on the whole pre-season and then came into a Premier League rhythm in terms of the amount of games and in terms of intensity. If he is more available then he has more chances to impact our results or his playing time. But then it is about him staying as fit as he is at the moment.
“He is in a much better place now and as we can all see when we needed a goal and I looked at the bench I only had him and Rio [Ngumoha], a 16-year-old, as attacking options. For me, although Rio did really well in pre-season it was quite a normal choice to bring him in and he delivered.”
Chiesa is holding up his end of the bargain - it’s now time for Slot to be a man of his word and treat the 28-year old with respect, rather than simply keeping the Italy international around just in case he gets desperate.
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