“He doesn’t know…” – Journalist claims Slot still hasn’t figured out three key positions for LFC | OneFootball

Arne Slot has yet to figure out three key positions in his Liverpool line-up, according to one journalist who covers the club on a daily basis.

Having kept faith with practically the same squad that he inherited from Jurgen Klopp in his first season in charge, the 47-year-old has now put his imprint on the Reds’ starting XI following a summer of huge upheaval in terms of both incomings and outgoings at Anfield.

However, with the Premier League champions yet to put in a truly convincing performance this term and losing three games on the bounce going into the October international break, questions have been asked of certain parts of the team over the past few days in particular.

David Lynch: Slot still trying to figure out three key positions

In his latest Substack column, David Lynch pinpointed three areas of the starting XI that he thinks Slot is still trying to figure out nearly two months into the season.

The journalist wrote: ‘Slot went into this season determined to rotate more in order to avoid the late-campaign burnout that arguably cost his team a Champions League shot. However, sticking to that principle while so many are finding their feet has proven counterproductive.

‘Interestingly, Slot has made eight changes to his starting XI in the Premier so far this season, exactly the same as his first in charge. Yet he is constantly tinkering in games and it still feels like he doesn’t know who is his first-choice right-back, what his best midfield looks like, or even his best attack.

‘No wonder these players aren’t defending as one, or in fact attacking particularly well as a unit, either.’

(Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Liverpool remain unsettled in three key areas

Trent Alexander-Arnold shipped fierce criticism over some of his performances last season, but he was certainly a fixture in Slot’s starting XI. That can’t be said of either Conor Bradley or Jeremie Frimpong so far this term, with Dominik Szoboszlai selected at right-back on several occasions despite it not being his natural position.

Part of that might be to try and accommodate Florian Wirtz in the number 10 role, although the German has yet to sprinkle the same stardust on this Liverpool team that he so often did at Bayer Leverkusen.

Nor have the Reds been helped in midfield by Alexis Mac Allister still seemingly not 100% after a series of minor knocks since the end of last season, when he and Ryan Gravenberch gave us such solidity as an outstanding partnership in the middle of the park.

The forward line has undergone substantial change over the summer, in part due to the tragic loss of Diogo Jota, and the immensely gifted individuals in attack haven’t clicked as a unit in the way that Mo Salah, Bobby Firmino and Sadio Mane did during Klopp’s reign.

In time, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike could forge a natural understanding with the Egyptian and Cody Gakpo, but that remains a work in progress with neither centre-forward making themselves an automatic start as of yet.

Strength in depth is essential in modern football when players are tasked with such an unforgiving calendar, but despite the enviable wealth of options now available to Slot, he’s still to hit upon a settled starting XI in which he can fully trust from back to front.