“Ideal Person To Bring In…” – Liverpool & Dutch Writer On ‘Once In A Generation’ Talent | OneFootball

By Mark Strickland

We spoke to Feyenoord fan and Liverpool FC writer Joe Baker to find out what Arne Slot’s perfect left-back is.

Liverpool fans identified a “left-sided defender” as a priority at the start of last season after the outstanding attacking output of Andy Robertson had lessened.

After a successful season-long loan at Brighton in 2022-23, they named Levi Colwill as the player who met the criteria, a left centre-back and left-back.

But his parent club Chelsea were not prepared to sell and if they were now, he is much less in demand.

I use it carefully for many reasons but it’s unavoidable: the “decline” of Andy Robertson started against Chelsea in October.

Baker said: “I think the Andy Robertson of three, four years ago would have been absolutely perfect for Slot’s system.

“I still do rate Robertson, and I still do think he’s got a role to play in the squad.”

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On replacements, Baker said: “Slot’s number one priority of his full-backs is to be able to do his defensive duties.

“Secondly, they need to be very comfortable on the ball, you will have seen a lot with Slot’s teams so far, the ability to retain the ball is extremely important.

“You may well be a full-back who loves to get up and down the flank, whip crosses in, and create chances over time,” he said.

“But you need to be able to retain it in certain moments in a match when he’s looking for the side to have more control.

“They need to be tactically flexible and therefore, at the same time, having a degree of in-game intelligence,” he said.

“I think we’ve seen with the individuals Arne Slot currently has in his squad, he’s often asked them to play in more than one role, often within the games themselves.”

The paradigm would be the hybrid role Ryan Gravenberch played in the 2-2 and 1-1 draws at home to Fulham and away to Nottingham Forest.

On what else the Reds’ head coach wants, Baker said: “Someone who he can mould, that’s where I think maybe it’s a hindrance to Robertson.

“I think Robertson was the ideal Jurgen Klopp full-back, but there are some little subtle differences between Slot and Klopp.

“And I think that those subtle differences can be applied to players in the full-back positions, maybe in particular Robertson.”

Elsewhere he said: “I think Tsimikas has been at the club long enough now that if he was ready to step up to that position he would have done.”

Kostas Tsimikas was signed to be and has remained the no.2 left-back, a role which he has fulfilled successfully.

“HE HAS ALL THE KEY ATTRIBUTES” – DUTCH FOOTBALL WRITER ON LIVERPOOL LINKED JORELL HATO

On Jorrel Hato at Ajax, Baker said: “I think he has all the key attributes that Slot wants in a defender.”

Hato is only 19 in March, has been capped by the Netherlands – second youngest since 1931 – and in March 2023, he was the captain of the U17 Netherlands, and six months later, he made his debut for the senior side.

“He came through as a left centre-back, but he has now played more games as a left-back for Ajax.

On Hato, Baker said: “He, for me, is the ideal person to bring in at the moment, he is an excellent passer of the ball.”

He attempted the third most passes in Eredivisie in the 2023-24 season from which he achieved the best completion rate.

Hato was the highest in the league for ball carries and was the highest ranked for aerial duels in the last year.

Baker added: “If you are committing to Slot and his way of playing, Hato is the best option from Ajax.

“I guarantee this guy is a once-in-a-generation player. He is quality.

“He’s come through into the team in one of the worst periods in Ajax’s history.”

Redmen Reacts

There are some examples of players signed from Ajax who have flopped in the English Premier League such as Anthony.

The Manchester United forward cost more than Darwin Nunez but receives much less criticism because he has fallen into obscurity.

I arrived in Amsterdam the day after Ajax finally won in their Europa League group last season from which they were eliminated against AEK Athens.

Therefore, I was aware of just how poor a season they had, so for Hato to still shine in that team is a testament to him.