Arne Slot is facing challenges integrating Liverpool's new signings, with a painful fourth consecutive loss against Manchester United adding to the team's woes.
A year ago, Liverpool was riding high on a run of eight straight victories, leading to a spell of 15 wins and just one draw from 16 matches. At that time, Slot seemed to thrive without significant signings, benefiting from Jurgen Klopp's existing squad. His approach, which was characterized by restraint in the transfer market, appeared to pay off.
Fast forward to the present, and Slot's struggles are clear. Having spent a record £450m on new players, Liverpool is now in the midst of a four-match losing streak. This marks an unfamiliar low for the team, especially for Slot, who has not faced such a downturn since his time with the club.
Slot’s early success at Liverpool included a memorable victory over Manchester United, but his current run ended with a home defeat to the same rivals. The contrast between last season’s success and the current challenges is stark. As Virgil van Dijk noted, "We are coming from a season where everything was unbelievable," but now, the team seems to be facing a loss of direction. Despite spending a significant amount in the transfer market, Liverpool's clarity of thought and execution have been called into question.
The £450m worth of new signings, while of high quality, have not yet gelled effectively with the existing squad. Issues such as Mohamed Salah's subdued performance and a lack of cohesion throughout the team are contributing to their struggles. However, the issue cannot be attributed solely to the new players. There are deeper questions regarding Slot’s tactics, including his decisions on when to introduce new players and when to revert to familiar faces.
In terms of player selection, there have been notable decisions that have raised questions. Milos Kerkez, who was partly at fault for the early goal against Manchester United, has started every league match despite underperforming. The case for bringing back Andy Robertson, who has a strong relationship with Van Dijk, has also been made. Meanwhile, Jeremie Frimpong seems to have lost his place, with only a brief appearance against United.
Slot has also faced criticism for benching Florian Wirtz in key matches, such as against Everton, Chelsea, and Manchester United. In an attempt to regain some form of balance, Slot reverted to a midfield trio of Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, and Dominik Szoboszlai, but this has failed to yield positive results, with the team losing three times when they have played together. Van Dijk acknowledged that the team had been too rushed in these instances, a collective observation that underlines Liverpool’s struggles in midfield.
In attack, Slot opted for £125m signing Alexander Isak over the in-form Hugo Ekitike. Isak’s performance against United was largely forgettable, while Ekitike’s impact during his brief time on the pitch was more significant. Despite this, Slot’s tactical approach to this game, where substitutions appeared to lead to more chances, indicated that Liverpool's issues may lie more in finishing than in creating opportunities.
The most effective attackers for Liverpool this season have not been the expected stars like Salah, Isak, and Wirtz, but instead, Ekitike, Cody Gakpo, and Federico Chiesa. This reflects a lack of chemistry within the attacking unit, with untapped potential both individually and as a team. Despite these struggles, Liverpool has still managed to create the most open-play chances in the league. The key challenge, as Slot pointed out, lies in their inability to convert those chances into goals.
Looking ahead, Slot remains optimistic, suggesting that Liverpool must improve their finishing. He believes that if the team continues to create chances and improves their efficiency, the results will follow. However, the team's recent performances show that small margins are playing a significant role in their fortunes, with the last 10 matches all being decided by a single goal: six wins followed by four losses.
As Liverpool grapples with integrating expensive new signings, Slot’s challenge is clear: finding the right balance between introducing new talent and maintaining the team’s established strengths.
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