Arne Slot - Head Coach

The Albert
2380

Flo is the real catalyst for all this I think.

The rationale for bringing him in was sound - the way we played was still a bit too hectic to have the level of quality control of the ball in the final third Slot felt we needed to go to the next level and Flo was identified as the way to address that. But football is a very finely balanced thing and for everything you gain in one direction with a change you risk losing in another, and the better side you are the bigger the risk the price you pay is a damaging one. So to add Flo we not only had to add in a player and risk losing something from a purely personnel perspective, but there was also the issue of there being no like for change available so what else was going to change to fit him in and what knock on effects of that would there be? For context, Klopp repeatedly spoke in the early years of understanding the attraction of wanting Phil to play as 10 but that defending with a high press in that structure is much harder than with the shape we ultimately took up after a bit of experimentation, so how were we going to approach that with Wirtz?

For Leverkusen he was most commonly used as a relatively free floating 10 behind 2 strikers, so were we going to change to fit him in and approximate that role, or were we going to ask him to change to become more of a CM, albeit one with a lot of attacking freedom? None of us knew. The idea we would return to the false 9 approach was so attractive to so many precisely because it was the solution that required the least change, but from the other signings we were making that became apparent it was not the plan. We then all heard the stories that Slot’s clear vision was what sold him on the move and everything seemed great. It wasn’t just the excitement of him joining but the excitement of the pending reveal of what the plan was.

We’re now over two months into the season and I still have no idea what the intention was and that surely is as much a contributor to everyone else’s patchy form as much as everyone else’s form as vice versa in a way that suggests things dont get magically unlocked just by dropping a poorly performing player or two.

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2381

Also Dom has been playing at right back, he also gave away a penalty.
I’d go with Jones as he actually manages to position so the defense can find him (without having to go into the goalies position to make it easy).
Honestly though is it an award anyone would wish for let alone want considering how the midfield has been performing.
It’s like player of the month, might as well give it to some unknown (to me) academy player since Allison got injured.

2382

He has been this season

1 Like
2383

He’s been right back for his best performances. :winking_face_with_tongue:

2384

Partly agree and disagree with this. At present Flo is either coming deeper and facing away from goal or occupying space vacated by the forwards. He’s not getting on the ball enough in areas around the box. Dropping Mo and Alexis and setting up more in a 4-3-1-2 creates space for him and the rest of the team (who are all great players capable of ‘winning the title without a manager’ (at least according to one poster on one of these threads!)) to start working on his wavelength. Thats the shortcut to the team looking much more cohesive.

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2385

Feels like we are getting worse frankly and I see nothing that’s changing from Slot.

Going 1-0 down in the first 10 minutes has to stop.

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2386

True, but not sure how he looks the group in the eye and tells them all they have to defend better.

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2387

I can definitely see how that shape would help get more out of him, and has knock on effects of putting players like Kirkez and which ever RB ends up playing being put in a shape that benefits them as well. But that is my point, that is a larger change focused on putting players in roles that focus on what they are good at and not just a case of dropping under performing players.

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2388

well we are in agreeance.
I’d suggest that dropping Mo is the absolute first step towards this and even go so far as to suggest continuing to play Mo will result in Arne’s downfall.

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2389

I want to see a midfield diamond. It will hit a couple of established players hard, but I think it’s the best way to unleash the new attacking talent while giving us more solidity.

Two up top.
That should be Ekitike + Isak. Form and fitness needs to govern this, and Isak isn’t quite there yet, so Chiesa and Salah come into the equation. Getting Salah closer to the goal might give him a little lift too, as he looks isolated on the right.

One at the point
This is the role for Wirtz. Let him be the playmaker and form an understanding with Isak and Ekitike, and that will be key to our future attacking prospects. If Wirtz is out, Chiesa could probably do this role, or Mac Allister.

Two in the middle
Jones and Szoboszlai, based on current form, but a tip-top Mac Allister probably fights his way back in. Both athletic, good on the ball, and can offer some sort of shield to teams going right through us, especially with:

One at the base
Gravenberch had a brilliant season last time, and this time we’ve seen glimpses but it hasn’t fully got going yet, due to missing a couple of games.

Two central defenders
Currently it is Van Dijk and Konate, but based on age and contract situation, we are surely looking at the central defence as a key area to invest in moving forwards.

Two overlapping fullbacks
Kerkez and Frimpong to offer width, and their stamina can help them get up and down the flank. Currently it is undermined with Frimpong’s injury issues.

Alisson in goal
The best in the business. We have missed him, though in the long run it has been important for Mamardashvili to see some action. To my mind it has been a bit mixed - he has done a few top notch saves at full stretch. Really good stuff. But then he has let one or two in that while not fully his fault, he might have stopped. Still, he has come into a struggling side so he gets the benefit of the doubt there.

A midfield diamond system is the way to go right now. It seems like the best way to use the attacking talent we have brought in, and it also gives us a bit more solidity, and the back three could emerge as Grav positions in that direction with the fullbacks high up, giving it more of a 3232 or even a 325 if it goes very attacking, but the basis of the system is a midfield diamond, or 41212 if you like.

Gakpo won’t have a clear role and will likely go to the bench.
Salah’s role would change from being a fixture on the right to now competing for one of the two spots up top, but I would back Isak and Ekitike to win that fight in time.
Maybe buy another robust midfielder to compete with Grav, someone like Wharton.
And add 2 new central defenders, assuming Konate is leaving and obviously Virg is getting older and at some point will rotate a bit more.

That’s what we need to do, IMO, but over and above that, they all need to take responsibility for their own performances, give their best, win their duels, run the miles and so on and so forth. The talent is there, it’s going to need some work to come out.

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2390

There might be something in this, I view the ‘Wirtz role’ you describe here as essentially what Firmino used to do though - at times a diamond with 2 up and at times an attacking 3 (or 4/5 including fullbacks getting up - especially Frimpong). Just not sure Wirtz is that player? Maybe 2 up top will make a comeback, like the old days of Shearer/Sutton etc and Slot will mastermind a shift in the whole of top level football. :grinning_face:

2392

Totally agree. I believe I posted a similar formation a few days ago. I think you can have Salah play up top as well. His pace isn’t the same as it used to be, but he’s still very dangerous and allowing him to play as a striker takes advantage of his strengths and limits his weaknesses. But between Isak, Ekitike, Salah, Chiesa, and Gakpo, you’ve got five strikers who can interchange.

Jones and Szobo can deputize Wirtz as the 10 as well.

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2393

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This is what I’d do (notwithstanding firm and fitness)

Go all in on 442 diamond. Once you stopping worrying about Salah and Gakpo as wingers, it really makes sense.

Gravenberch as the deepest midfielder, dropping in between Van Dijk and Konate when needed. This gives the full backs licence to attack without worrying too much about the space behind, and Szobozslai and Mac Allister can watch the flanks as well.

Wirtz essentially has a free role, can drop deep to make a midfield four, and get forward to make a front three, with Isak and Ekitike able to pull wide if needed.

Salah and Gakpo are part of the forward rotation. It means Salah as winger are over, but he is still dangerous as a goalscorer, and I think he is good enough to cover the number 10 role as well.

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2394

Agree with everything apart from Mo as a number 10

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2395

100% agree. In addition to the reasons you indicate, I think it will also give us some much-needed solidity defensively with an extra body in the midfield. It absolutely suits the players we have and appears to be the future. We’re not winning the league, so might as well rip the band aid off and fully commit.

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2396

Looks good. Swap Frimpong for Bradley though.

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2397

I’d give Mo a run in that formation ahead of Isak.

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2398

Neither are Liverpool standard Bradley finished last season terribly and its carried into this.

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2399

My concern would be our forwards pressing (or lack thereof) the oppositions defense and midfield with this current set up.

2400

Why? What reason is there to think any of them wont do it well, or wont do it at all?

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