rousingthekop.com

Arne Slot decision against PSG suggests he's looking over his shoulder at Liverpool - opinion

Looking at the way Liverpool set up against PSG, I can’t help but feel Arne Slot is doing his best Xabi Alonso impression.

We knew that this Champions League quarter-final against PSG wasn’t going to be a walk in the park, and that Liverpool were going to have to put in the defensive display of the season to keep the European champions at bay.

Some speculated that a conservative approach is best for this struggling Liverpool side, but not many would have expected Slot to deploy a back-three for the first time in his tenure at Anfield. It might be a decision taken for multiple reasons.

Can this XI get out of Paris with the tie still in reach? 👀

RTK starting XI

Arne Slot auditioning for Liverpool role next season amid Xabi Alonso links

We have seen a big shift in focus to young centre-backs with recruitment efforts recently, and it has long been theorised that this is with a system change in mind.

Liverpool-linked Alonso is a specialist in that regard, and the fit with the squad has given fans even more reason to dream about him being the next hire.

But Slot’s decision to implement this system — while making sense defensively — would also legitimise him to some extent if the result is somewhat positive. And by that, I mean less than a two-goal margin.

It’s obvious that this is the system that Liverpool need to try next season. With two fit and firing number nines, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, and five centre-back options (as it stands).