Liverpool slumped to a primary defeat of the Arne Slot period in uninspiring style at Anfield, with classes to be discovered for the brand new man in cost.
Liverpool 0-1 Nottingham Forest
Premier League (4), Anfield
September 14, 2024
Objectives; Hudson-Odoi 72’
Poor choices from gamers and supervisor
Unhealthy choices within the remaining third thwarted quite a few Liverpool assaults and probabilities to win all through this sport.
It was one thing that affected the entire workforce, suggesting it may not be a case of particular person poor efficiency, however a problem with the setup.
One Mohamed Salah shot within the second half summed up their attacking play because it landed nearer to the nook flag than to the objective.
When in a promising place with quarter-hour to go, Salah took a shot when he had three teammates lining up on the far submit.
It was not simply Salah; Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz additionally struggled in assault, and people behind them weren’t a lot better.
Dominik Szoboszlai’s move success within the Premier League up to now this season has been at a formidable 93%, however on this sport, it was right down to 78%.
Salah’s has additionally been excessive for a ahead at 87%, however on this sport, it dropped to 70%.
There was a sloppiness that bordered on confusion at instances and at one level two gamers bumped into one another whereas trying to take management of an attacking transfer.
Alongside the difficulty the gamers had been having, none of Slot’s modifications to treatment the scenario labored, and the second light out reasonably than bringing Liverpool again into the sport.
Not a lot for Anfield to get behind
Partly as a consequence of this sloppy play on the ball, there was not a lot for followers to get behind at any level.
Missing a few of the heavy metallic, tireless counter-pressing, it was left to the play on the ball to get the group going, and it not often did.
Diaz hit the submit and Matz Sels virtually dropped the ball into his personal objective, however aside from these moments there was no actual verve on the sector in to liven the group within the stands.
These lulls did often occur underneath Jurgen Klopp, after all, and this received’t at all times occur underneath the brand new regime, however there was one thing flat about this complete show.
A few of it was right down to the best way Forest arrange, and the guests did effectively, however a annoyed Anfield mirrored a gaggle of annoyed gamers.
Liverpool solely had 5 pictures on course to Forest’s three regardless of having 70% possession.
Sooner or later, there may should be a bit of extra forcing of the problem in an try and create a profitable ambiance.
A debut for Federico Chiesa late on would have supplied some impetus and bought the group going, however bizarrely he was overlooked of the squad and 4 defenders had been named on the bench as an alternative.
Trent slotting into midfield revisited
If we thought Slot’s arrival would sign the top of Trent Alexander-Arnold the midfielder, we had been mistaken.
In an try and inject one thing completely different into Liverpool’s struggling assault within the second half, Conor Bradley got here on to exchange Alexis Mac Allister which noticed Trent transfer into midfield.
It meant the form of the midfield three was extra 1-2 than the 2 holding midfielders we’ve seen in current weeks with Gravenberch and Mac Allister behind Szoboszlai in a 2-1 midfield formation.
On this new formation, Trent was up alongside Szoboszlai with Gravenberch holding on his personal in entrance of the again 4.
At each England and Liverpool up to now this season it had appeared the Trent midfield experiment had been deserted, however Slot confirmed that it stays an possibility at membership degree.
On this displaying, although, he may keep away from it sooner or later.
Shedding the duels
Whereas Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate had been usually dominant on the again, throughout the remainder of the pitch Liverpool struggled to win the scraps.
For a lot of the sport Liverpool’s floor duels received share stood at round 35%, and so it ended.
Nottingham Forest’s full-backs had been particularly lively on this space, with Ola Aina and Alex Moreno performing effectively in opposition to Salah and Diaz for an hour till Liverpool made modifications.
Alexander-Arnold completed the sport having solely received 4 of 12 floor duels contested, per FotMob.
With Slot having emphasised this space of the sport when he subbed Jarell Quansah at half time within the opening sport of the season, he’ll seemingly be disenchanted with this show, and should cite it as a motive it was misplaced.
Rotation quickly?
Bar the Quansah second, Slot has caught with the identical lineup for every of his video games as Liverpool supervisor up to now.
There’s a busy run of fixtures to return, although, and this may check his capacity to get again to profitable methods whereas additionally utilizing his squad.
It’s a new check for Slot, who admitted in his press convention previous to this sport that he was not used to rotating his workforce a lot at his earlier membership, Feyenoord.
“My former groups we had been in a position to really play virtually each sport with the identical gamers however it’s a completely different league so I may need to regulate to that” he mentioned.
“We have now greater than 11 superb gamers so I can use extra.”
With the shortage of battles received and the necessity for somebody to be lively defensively in midfield, it’s a shock Wataru Endo was not used in any respect however by the point Liverpool realised they could have wanted him on this sport, it was too late.
Seven of the beginning XI had performed the utmost 180 minutes for his or her respective nation in the course of the worldwide break, and it confirmed.
