Jamie Carragher has sent Liverpool manager Arne Slot a warning about the “dangerous” game he is playing tweaking the Reds’ system following back-to-back defeats against Crystal Palace and Galatasaray.
Slot admits Liverpool must "find answers" to form
After spending around £400m in the summer, many expected Liverpool to look better than ever under Slot, who switched his system to work new signings into his side. So far, however, they’ve looked at their most vulnerable and, Hugo Ekitike aside, it’s fair to say that a lot of their fresh faces are yet to get going.
Last weekend’s defeat against Crystal Palace looked on the cards since Liverpool’s 4-2 victory over Bournemouth on the opening day and a second-consecutive defeat against Galatasaray didn’t do anything to ease concerns. Now, Slot has admitted that his side must “find answers” after recent results.
“Teams played in a completely different way in the first half of the season against us than they did when we were top of the league after half of the season and top of the Champions League after the first part of the season.
“I can see this now going into this part of this season and we have to find answers to that. Last season, one of them was a set-piece, like many teams unlock a low block with set-pieces, and this season we haven’t done that yet.”
One of the most disappointing aspects about Liverpool this season has been the form of Florian Wirtz. The £116m midfielder has looked a shadow of the midfield star that the Reds signed from Bayer Leverkusen and hasn’t been involved in a goal since the Community Shield.
Carragher wasted no time before taking aim at the German in midweek and the Liverpool legend has now doubled down on his criticism whilst firing Slot a “dangerous” warning.
Carragher sends Slot warning
Writing in his column for The Telegraph, Carragher warned Slot of the “dangerous” nature of persisting with a faltering system. He believes Slot’s plan was to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold’s creativity with Wirtz, and the manager now has a choice to stick with it – possibly with disastrous consequeneces – or pull the plug until the team has settled back to form without the German.
Carragher wrote: “He (Wirtz) is yet to add what Liverpool are missing without Alexander-Arnold, while at the same time the team has lost the intensity which made them so difficult to play against.
“It means Slot has a dilemma as he tries to defend the title going through a transitional phase that might take longer than many thought. He must decide whether to regroup and temporarily revert to the strategy of last season, accommodating Wirtz in a different role or leaving him out entirely until he is up to speed with English football.
“Or he might persist with his vision believing more short-term pain might be necessary until it clicks. The latter would be dangerous because even with all the credit in the bank from his title win, there is immense pressure to keep winning, especially when you have spent a combined £230m on two players who are supposed to be ready-made to take a championship-winning side to the next level.”