Pat Nevin says Liverpool’s best player this season keeps being hampered by Arne Slot

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Liverpool have been in a poor run of form over the last few weeks.

Their start to the 2025-26 season was marvellous, but in their last three games, they’ve managed to get beaten in each one.

Indeed, three losses aren’t anything to get worried about just yet, but the fact that all three came in one after the other is a bit worrying.

Things just haven’t been going right at Anfield over the last few weeks, with even Dominik Szoboszlai failing to live up to his usual high standards.

However, Pat Nevin doesn’t think that Szoboszlai’s lack of form can be blamed solely on himself.

Pat Nevin thinks Arne Slot is hindering Dominik Szoboszlai by using him at right-back

There’s no denying that the Hungary international is a world-class player.

He cost Liverpool a hefty chunk of change when he joined from RB Leipzig a couple of years ago, but, so far, it feels like he’s been worth every penny.

Much like the rest of his teammates, his 2025-26 season started well, but as we’ve got further into the campaign, his form seems to have dropped off massively.

And now, while speaking to BBC Sport, Nevin has shared his thoughts on Szoboszlai and how Slot is actually hampering his performances.

“‌Dominik Szoboszlai is a wonderful midfielder – maybe Liverpool’s best player this season so far – but his limitations as a full-back were cruelly exposed, both when I was there in Istanbul for the Galatasaray game midweek and in west London,” he wrote.

“When he moved in there on Saturday, Chelsea got to his byline time and again. He was also guilty of switching off when crosses were coming in from the other wing. Specialist full-backs simply do not do that.

“Szoboszlai created Liverpool’s goal from that full-back area, underlining where his true strengths lie: attack. With so many brilliant specialist wingers in the league, a makeshift full-back is not going to cut it.

‌”Unsurprisingly, the hosts’ late winner came from an attack down that side.”

Liverpool need to figure out who they’re going to start playing at right-back soon

At the moment, it feels like right-back is the Reds’ main problem area.

Jeremie Frimpong, Conor Bradley, and Szoboszlai have all shared the role this season, with none of the three doing a particularly good job when called upon.

Indeed, Szoboszlai’s initial performances at full-back were staggering, but his lack of speed and his desire to get into the middle of the park has left Liverpool exposed one too many times recently.

In Frimpong’s and Bradley’s case, you’d think that both players would be trying their absolute hardest to lock down their place in Arne Slot’s starting XI.

However, that couldn’t be further from the truth, as Bradley often fails to avoid a yellow card in games and the Dutchman consistently fails to put in a decent performance, regardless of where he plays.

At the moment, it’s anyone’s guess what could happen, but if Slot doesn’t find a solution soon, it could become a massive problem for him and his team.