Jeremie Frimpong has not had a smooth transition to life at Liverpool after arriving over the summer.
The Dutchman was signed as the nominal Trent Alexander-Arnold replacement, with an eye on helping out further up the pitch as well.
However, seven matches into his Liverpool career, and Frimpong has not convinced at either right-back or right wing.
It is early days – and fitness issues have not helped the 24-year-old – but so far, few supporters would be completely happy to include Frimpong in Arne Slot’s best XI.
For the Netherlands, it is a different matter for the former Bayer Leverkusen man. Frimpong is a key part of Ronald Koeman’s team.
That was on show once again on Thursday evening, as Koeman started Liverpool’s No. 30 on the right wing against Malta. And the Netherlands manager gave his verdict on what has become a pressing question at Anfield after the 4-0 win.
Ronald Koeman happy with ‘real threat’ Jeremie Frimpong
Given he has not looked especially comfortable in either position so far, it has been difficult for Liverpool fans to judge what Frimpong’s best position is.
Koeman appears to be clear on that, though, and prefers to start him in an advanced right sided position ahead of Inter Milan right-back Denzel Dumfries.
READ MORE: Florian Wirtz has already told Arne Slot what position he must play in for Liverpool
Asked about how that plan worked following the match, Koeman praised Frimpong, claiming he was happy with the performance of the Liverpool star.
“I thought Frimpong was a real threat,” the manager said in quotes from Voetal International. “There wasn’t always danger coming from the right wing, which means Denzel has to get inside more. That’s improving all the time.
“If you also see how often Denzel gets into the box in the second half, he’s setting up the fourth goal and can score again himself. I think it was a coincidence that Frimpong had already been substituted at that point. They couldn’t do much more in the end because they were exhausted.
“Donyell Malen might have been pushing inside a bit more than Frimpong,” Koeman added. “We can work on that, and we absolutely must, but yeah… it’s going well. Are there any comments? That’s your prerogative. I’m allowed to disagree, right?”
Frimpong needs a defined Liverpool role
Although it is clear that Frimpong was signed to be a versatile option for Slot, it looks like he could really do with having a position nailed down.
While versatility is a useful trait to have, it can also be a hindrance to players who find themselves marginalised in both positions.
Koeman clearly sees Frimpong as a more attacking player, but with Mohamed Salah always going to be first pick on the right of the Liverpool attack, there isn’t a consistent space for him there.
Instead, if Slot wants to get Frimpong into his team, he is going to have to give him a run at right-back.
The early signs have not been brilliant from the new arrival, but if he can get a string of games together played in one position, that should hopefully change.
Receive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox
