Liverpool managed to squeeze past Southampton in a 2-1 win at Anfield on Tuesday.
The two clubs were facing one another in the third round of the Carabao Cup, with Liverpool expected to easily win.
Indeed, Arne Slot did choose to start a fair few second-string players, but after the performances that Joe Gomez and Wataru Endo put in, it’s unlikely that we’ll see that much change again.
For the neutral, the game would have been extremely entertaining, but with the form that Liverpool have been in this season, their fans would have been expecting a much more convincing performance.
And, although Gomez and Endo were fairly poor, Alexander Isak didn’t make a great name for himself either, even though he did score the opening goal.
David Thompson wants to see more from Alexander Isak after his performance v Southampton
Isak was arguably the best signing that any team made throughout the summer transfer window.
The striker was the best in the Premier League last season, with the Sweden international being a key reason behind the Magpies’ success.
However, since he chose to go on strike until his move was sanctioned, it has left him with no match fitness, which is far from ideal for a player who cost £125million to sign in the first place.
Last term, he was being dubbed “ruthless” by Eddie Howe, but now, former Liverpool player David Thompson is slamming him for giving the ball away too much.
“I thought we struggled with our own pace, really,” Thompson said to All RED TV.
“I think when you win the ball back and you’re playing against a team like that, the first pass is your most important, it’s got to break the lines.
“You’ve got to be able to get hold of it, and in the first half, Isak gave the ball away a few times, times when it went out to Frimpong, he gave the ball away, and it just puts you on the back foot.
“They were happy to control them spaces then, and they were happy to dig in and sort of outnumber us a little bit when they did get the ball on the right-hand side.”
Liverpool’s players must start getting used to one another as soon as possible
One of the main things that has likely been holding Liverpool back this term is the lack of cohesion among their ranks.
Although Liverpool’s first-team squad is much better now than it was last term, due to how many new faces have been brought in, they need time to figure out the best way to play with one another.
On the face of things, an attacking line of Hugo Ekitike, Isak, Mohamed Salah and Florian Wirtz should have no problems with getting the ball in the back of the net.
Each of the four players are world-class and, with the quality that they possess, they should be doing a lot better than what they have been.
Only time will tell whether all this chance was too much at once, but if Slot can find a way to make everyone click, it could end up being one of the best seasons in Liverpool’s history.
That is, even if their performance against Southampton on Tuesday was well below their expected standards.
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