Liverpool succumbed to a fourth straight defeat on Sunday as they lost against Manchester United.
The Reds had plenty of chances to win or at least draw the game, with big-money signing Alexander Isak guilty of a huge missed chance.
Isak was put through one-on-one with Senne Lammens from a fantastic through ball by Ibrahima Konate.
The angle was slightly tight for the Swede, but he would still have been expected to score. Instead, Lammens made the save.
Having failed to get Isak into the game, and with a goal looking out of reach for Liverpool, Arne Slot brought Hugo Ekitike on for the final portion of the match.
It was the first prolonged chance for Liverpool fans to see how Slot planned to use his two big-money striker signings together, and it was certainly an interesting glimpse.
Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike play up front together
Liverpool fans would perhaps have liked to have seen Isak and Ekitike start together after Slot declared the No. 9 to be fully fit ahead of the game.
Ekitike has arguably been Liverpool’s best attacker this season, and it seems a poor decision to consistently leave him out of the team.
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Having spent so much on the two attackers, the plan is surely to play them both together at some stage. Slot did that for only 10 minutes on Sunday after bringing Ekitike on.
Although it was brief, there was maybe a clue as to how Slot wants to play moving forward, with Gary Neville spotting the shape on commentary for Sky Sports.
“Gakpo on the left, Ekitike and Isak up front, Salah on the right. Wirtz and Curtis Jones in centre midfield, four up front,” said Neville.
“Probably the first time we’ve really seen Ekitike and Isak paired together at the top of the pitch,” added Jamie Carragher. “There’s been lots of talk about Ekitike playing wide but he’s gone through the middle.”
Will this be the long-term plan for Liverpool?
Given they only played for 10 minutes together – and with the team 1-0 down at the time no less – it is impossible to say whether this is part of a longer term plan for Slot.
As things stand, the Liverpool head coach looks to have very little idea over how to use his team at all.
If there is a plan, it is not playing out on the pitch, but Slot needs to find it before Liverpool’s season truly unravels.
Ekitike and Isak can certainly play together, in fact they really must play together if Slot is to get his best players on the pitch at the same time.
This may be something we see moving forward, but as it also leaves the Reds light in midfield, it is possible that the vision will be different moving forward.
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