Liverpool’s loss to Chelsea on Saturday has left fans questioning some of Arne Slot’s decisions over the past week.
Enzo Maresca’s side won 2-1 in an incredibly deserved victory, where the home side exploited the defensive weaknesses of the Reds to great effect.
It was a week to forget for Liverpool fans and Slot after losing three games consecutively in all competitions.
The choices made by the Dutchman were usually very clever tweaks that helped the team win games last season, and those adjustments were one of the main reasons for the Premier League title success.
However, this season his choices have not had the same desired effect on the game and have been, at times, boiling down to throwing on as many attackers as possible to try to force a result.
ESPN pundit says dropping ‘best’ player Hugo Ekitike is ‘baffling’
This season, the 47-year-old and his team have been described by some pundits as taking a basketball-like approach to the game, which is clear to see.
They have given the ball away too often and made games end-to-end, but who he has had on the pitch to do that in the starting XI or from the bench has been questioned.
One of the players he left on the bench for the fixture was Hugo Ekitike, who has been one of the players who has contributed the most in the league this season for the team.
The Frenchman was dropped in favour of Alexander Isak, which is a decision ESPN pundit Craig Burley was perplexed by.
Speaking on an ESPN broadcast, the Scotsman ripped into the decision by Slot to leave Ekitike on the bench, who he described as their ‘best’ player.
Burley said: “The midfield’s not working right. You’ve dropped your superstar again for one of the biggest games of the English domestic season away from home. You’ve benched him and I know they chased Alexander Isak for it seemed like weeks if not months and I know he cost a lot of money. And he played him and I’m not blaming Alexander. Maybe he needs game time.
“But your best player up until his stupid booking in the Carabao Cup, I think it was Hugo Ekitike, not Alexander. And you play your best players and Ekitike was on great form and is on great form. And so some of these decisions from Arne Slot are baffling… We talked about in midweek, square pegs and round holes is a difficult sell.”
ESPN pundit claims Milos Kerkez has to be dropped
It is not the only problem with Liverpool, as fans know, with the defence causing major problems for this side since the beginning of the season.
Conceding this season has become an expectation, which is unusual for what we know to be a Slot side, but the issues have come from players like Milos Kerkez.
The former Bournemouth left-back has struggled to adapt to a new way of playing as the Dutch manager has converted the way he plays to something with which Kerkez is not comfortable.
Since he has not been able to shine in this squad, Burley believes that he should be dropped for Andy Robertson as soon as possible.
“He’s brought in one of the best left-backs in the Premier League in Kerkez, who’s just lost confidence in his form, and I think is about to get dropped for Andy Robertson. I think he’s going to have to bring Robertson back into the team. So, the whole backline’s not working right,” he said.
It may be unlikely that he is left on the bench, given that Slot sees him as the first choice, and that Robertson has seemingly picked up an injury.
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