Liverpool coach confirms Arne Slot's brilliant tactical plan | OneFootball

Liverpool's U21 coach might have just confirmed Arne Slot's plans to change everything at the club.

It hasn't been an easy couple of months for the Dutchman. It's important to note just how much has changed around Liverpool and the toll that will have taken on Slot.

Especially at a time when he will also be mourning the loss of Diogo Jota in a terrible tragedy.

Slot needs to be cut some slack. It's not easy to be grieving and focusing on football. It's not easy to incorporate five or six new players into the team, while also trying to establish a new system.

Let alone when you're the manager of Liverpool and the manager of the current Premier League champions.

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Slot raised the bar for expectations last season, and he's suffering slightly as a result of those lofty heights this time around.

Naturally, at Liverpool he's always going to be given the time to work things out and figure a way to solve the crisis at the club.

So far the lessons to deduct from the season has been that the old system which worked last season and to which Slot clings to is no longer working.

Liverpool cannot function in the same way. They no longer have the players suited to that style of football. Especially with Trent Alexander-Arnold having departed the club.

So what is the solution?

Well, it's to try something different. To build a formation and a system that is more tailored towards the strength of Liverpool's current squad.

And that means changing to a back three. We reported that this was a plan according to Indy Kaila after the international break. With Slot wanting to involved both Ekitike and Isak in his starting line-up.

Now it might have just been confirmed by the club's U21 head coach Rob Page.

It might be the international break but Liverpool's U21 side were in action on Tuesday night in the EFL Trophy against League Two side Chesterfield.

Page decided to name an interesting line-up with the U21s playing a back three.

This involved three centre-backs in Rhys Williams, Carter Pinnington and Wellity Lucky. Meanwhile, Josh Davidson and Calvin Ramsay played as the wing-backs, given more freedom to go forward and impact the game.

It was a formation that proved to be effective with Ramsay setting up a number of opportunities and being able to dictate the game from the position.

Ultimately, Liverpool's young side were able to get their first points in the competition as a result, coming back from 2-0 down to secure a draw and then also win the penalty shoot-out to get a further point.

In attack, Liverpool looked particularly strong, and while they conceded two goals, both were as a result of individual errors rather than down to the system.

Liverpool's academy sides will always mimic the formations deployed by the first-team so the fact that Page has gone with this new set-up is very interesting.

It all but confirms Slot's brilliant tactical plan going forward. A plan that will ensure Liverpool will be able to get the best out of Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong.

Meanwhile, also utilise Florian Wirtz, Isak and Ekitike.