Liverpool fans can’t ignore glaring sign which suggests their problems end with Arne Slot

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While Liverpool supporters were stewing over three defeats in a week at the dawn of the last international break, Arne Slot was jetting off to Dubai with his family.

To some fans, that may sound like a totally reasonable thing to do. Every person deserves a break with those closest to them, no matter the pressures of their job.

In fact, it may be that in the eyes of the majority, it is precisely because of the current turmoil at Liverpool that Slot was right to take himself away for a period of clarity. Others will no doubt have a different view.

Whatever your own personal opinion on that particular discussion, what cannot be ignored is that while the Liverpool head coach was in the Middle East, his players were excelling without his guidance.

Alexis Mac Allister scored twice for Argentina, Cody Gakpo hit four for the Netherlands and Conor Bradley shone for Northern Ireland. Perhaps most damningly of all, Milos Kerkez was much more like his old self while playing for Hungary.

There were other examples besides, with the Liverpool squad showing signs that they were shaking off the rust. But when they returned as a group to face one of their biggest games of the season on Sunday, they disintegrated once again. This should set some alarm bells ringing.

Liverpool players look different for their countries

While Slot’s surprise Premier League win in 2024/25 means he deserves great respect from every Liverpool supporter, he is far from being immune to criticism.

Some of the Dutchman’s decisions have been baffling this season and his constant chopping and changing is undoubtedly harming the team.

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Players such as Kerkez, Mac Allister and Bradley look transformed while playing for their countries, but reserved, nervous and unsure while wearing the Liverpool kit.

These are not bad players, that much is clear, and it had been encouraging to see them show that once again during the break.

But the illusion that the pause had wiped the slate clean was shattered within two minutes of Sunday’s game. Whatever progress Liverpool players had made with their nations was immediately rendered meaningless.

Confidence is clearly a problem, but a fair number of players had restored that while away from Liverpool. What is left is the tactical set-up – or lack thereof. Slot and his coaching staff are the ones responsible for that, and it is now abundantly clear that they are the ones creating the current issues at Anfield.

What is the solution for Liverpool?

The fact that his players can thrive in a different environment but not at Liverpool is a damning indictment of Slot’s capabilities.

Clearly, the 47-year-old knows how to get a tune out of plenty of his players, and he should be given grace insomuch as he is still learning how to work with others.

But the question is just how long do you let things slide for? If Slot does not come up with the solutions before the next international break, and his players go away and perform equally as well in November, that question will become louder and louder.

The first thing Slot needs to do to ensure that does not happen is to settle on his best XI. Consistency is key now and it has not been present in any way, shape or form at Liverpool this season.

It was always going to take some time for things to settle after the Reds bought so many new players over the summer. As they have shown while wearing Hungary, Netherlands, Northern Ireland and Argentine colours, Liverpool’s stars have not become bad players overnight, that is still encouraging.

However, unless the tactical set-up is solved by Slot, Sipke Hulshoff and Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Liverpool will continue to look like a team of strangers.