Liverpool players now QUESTIONING Arne Slot | OneFootball

These have been testing times for Liverpool. The defending Premier League champions came into the season as runaway favourites to retain their title.

Arne Slot’s squad won the title at a canter in the 2024/25 season and appeared even stronger following a £450m spending spree.

But that summer transfer campaign has had a destabilising effect on the Reds. Although they got back to winning ways against West Ham at the weekend, the Merseysiders had previously lost nine of their last 12 games.

Slot has been unable to get the best out of the squad at his disposal - with the new signings in particular struggling to make an impact.

Florian Wirtz remains without a Premier League goal or assist while Alexander Isak only got off the mark in the top flight last weekend.

Others have failed to make an impact due to injury - including Giovanni Leoni and Jeremie Frimpong - while Hugo Ekitike has slowed right down after a scintillating start.

Kerkez call confuses Liverpool players

And one player finding it really hard to adapt to life at Anfield is Milos Kerkez.

The 22-year-old was signed from Bournemouth for £40m over the summer but hasn’t really lived up to expectations. In his time on the pitch the Hungary international has barely provided an improvement on long-term incumbent Andy Robertson.

And yet Slot has seen fit to start Robbo only TWICE thus far in the top flight this season. That decision is one that is causing a certain amount of dissent in the Reds’ dressing room - according to a new report in Football Insider.

Szoboszlai at right-back also questioned

“There has been some surprise from within the dressing room that he is continually being selected ahead of the proven and still very able Andrew Robertson,” the report reads.

But it’s not only Slot’s use of Kerkez which is puzzling the Liverpool players. On the other side of the defence the club have had a torrid time replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold.

With Frimpong and Conor Bradley unavailable, the Dutch tactician has often resorted to using Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back.

And noticing the damage that moving the Hungarian to the defence has done to the midfield structure, Slot has also toyed with another midfielder - Curtis Jones - in the position.

Teammates are bemused by Slot’s use of midfielders at right-back - with the manager strangely reluctant to use Joe Gomez until last weekend.

© IMAGO - Milos Kerkez Liverpool

Stars 'frustrated' by Slot

“There is similar frustration among the players, it is said, regarding Slot’s decision to use midfielders on the right side of the defence, with Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai both acting as regular features at right-back this season,” the report reads.

“This especially applies to Szoboszlai, who has already started four league games in an unnatural right-back role, while either he or Jones, who started at right-back in the defeats to Nottingham Forest and PSV Eindhoven, have slotted into the backline a further four times during league games.”

Liverpool’s transfer campaign has not had the desired effect thus far - it’s clear to see.

Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes need Frimpong and Bradley to start duking it out properly for the right-back slot on a consistent basis so Jones and Szoboszlai can get back to their best in the middle.

Robbo is out of contract in summer 2026 meanwhile - meaning Kerkez has got six months to prove he’s up to standard otherwise Liverpool’s decision-makers may well think about renewing the Scot’s deal.