Arne Slot will drop DISASTROUS star | OneFootball

Arne Slot has no choice but to drop one of his star players after he has become a problem time and again this season.

Liverpool are currently top of the Premier League and have begun their season with victories in the Champions League and League Cup.

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But while results have largely been decent, the performances have been far from it. All of this culminated in the club's defeat to Crystal Palace when once again Slot's side produced a lacklustre game.

Palace, who may be one of the most in-form teams in the Premier League at the moment took advantage of this and recorded the Reds first defeat of the season.

Despite the new investment into the squad and despite all the new star players, the Reds have not been all that impressive.

There are cracks under the service and perhaps one of the most disturbing cracks of them all is Alexis Mac Allister.

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Now, it's important to preface the Argentine was one of the best players on the pitch for Liverpool last season. Without Mac Allister, the Reds would not have won the Premier League as comfortably as they did.

However, this season he may be more of a hindrance than a helping hand.

Mac Allister's performance have been disastrous to say the least. He's won just nine out of his 21 ground duels and failed to win a single ground duel against Crystal Palace on Saturday as the Reds fell to their first defeat of the season.

Considering winning duels is a very important aspect of Slot's style of play this is becoming a huge concern. Mac Allister's win rate of 43% is one of the lowest in the Liverpool team.

He's a liability when it comes to defending and this is especially a concern when he has one of the best attacking full-backs in the Premier League from last season playing behind him.

Because of Mac Allister's defensive vulnerabilities, Milos Kerkez has been instructed to stay deeper and play a lot more defensive. Simply, because the Argentine cannot cover the spaces behind him - he doesn't have the legs for it.

But this robs Kerkez of being the asset that he can be for Liverpool. He is most dangerous when he is able to run up and down the left-flank and put in crosses and impact the opposition's final third.

If Mac Allister plays in that left-sided centre-midfield role, the Hungarian cannot do that. He's too restricted.

© IMAGO - Alexis Mac Allister Liverpool

Which is why the World Cup winning midfielder is becoming a problem for Liverpool. Perhaps the biggest problem.

Slot's style of football is all about intensity. Winning duels and moving the ball quickly. Mac Allister isn't that type of player. He doesn't win duels, he is slow and the intensity is getting to him this season.

There's always a chance he can get back to the player that he was last season. But for now after some of his performances, it is inevitable that Slot will drop him.

It's time Curtis Jones is given an opportunity to show what he can do in the same role. He's won 11 out of 14 ground duels in the Premier League so far this season, which is a much better return than Mac Allister.