Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate have been really struggling for Liverpool in recent games.
When the Reds lost 3-2 to Brentford on Saturday night, one of the recurring issues of the season proved to be the downfall of this Arne Slot side as the defence looked as weak as ever.
The two centre-backs, van Dijk and Konate, have had such mixed seasons this year since returning from the Premier League-winning season.
Konate started this season off in really poor form, with individual mistakes in nearly every game costing Liverpool, as many led to goals or chances. But weirdly in the most recent games, he has not been the problem at the back.
Instead, the captain van Dijk had started this campaign off in his usual form, trying to cover for mistakes made by his defensive partners, but now he is the one who has been causing the issues.
Arne Slot needs to play a slightly less high-line to help Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate
Their partnership has not lived up to the definition of the word, as there is no relationship to be seen this season, even though they worked so well as a defensive duo previously.
There are many factors at play for this, including the fact that the whole team has been playing poorly, but one issue that seems to be causing them the most harm this year is the high line.
Playing with a high line is not a problem, and if anything, it has been one of the reasons the Reds have done so well defensively in recent years, catching teams offside on a consistent basis.
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In this campaign, this tactic has seemingly been a hindrance to their success and the effectiveness of the centre halves’ partnership.
When watching the Brentford game, the best example of why it does not work for both men was when Kevin Schade got on the right side of Konate and easily played his way through to score the Bees’ second goal.
They were both so far up the pitch and were caught out by such a clever through ball, which was incredibly frustrating.
Slot has to stop both of them playing that far up the pitch because when the full-backs push up and there is not an out-and-out defensive midfielder, it is a guaranteed goal for the opposition.
This small tweak could make a real difference, not just to the record of goals conceded but also in fixing the evident issue with both men’s current partnership. Plus, the issues with the long ball are then muted because players will not as easily take advantage of the poor defending of the tactic.
Liverpool do not need a new centre-back right now
It may seem strange to suggest this, given the Marc Guehi deal was so close to completion and it could have given Liverpool an edge, but they do not need to buy a new centre-back currently.
The defensive issue is not down to the talent in the position; instead, it is that the tactics and team setup are affecting their performances.
If it were not for the poor balance in this side, the issue of a new centre-back would be one that many would not even talk about.
Next summer, a player like Guehi or Dayot Upamecano should obviously be considered and bought, but that is more for the future of the position rather than a quick fix for now.
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