Don't panic. Keep calm. The recommendation from Virgil van Dijk and Curtis Jones was Zen-like in its reassurance in midweek as Liverpool digested back-to-back defeats for the second time underneath Arne Slot.
Slot remained relaxed and upbeat on Friday too, sprinkling his press convention with a number of unprompted reminders that the group he was defending from uncommon criticism are prime of the Premier League. Once more. However behind the soothing messages and optimistic league desk there are plain points with Liverpool's type that, in response to Slot himself, run deeper than the opening 10 video games of the marketing campaign.
The Premier League champions haven't been struggling to create probabilities from open play or to show dominant possession into convincing victories since August, their head coach insisted. They've been struggling to do each because the center of final season, as soon as opponents adjusted their ways to stifle Liverpool, and are but to seek out options. It was some admission from the coach of a group that cruised to the title with 4 video games to spare in April and has been enhanced by a £420m summer season spending spree. And, sure, that funding does improve scrutiny in addition to expectation.
“We have been very blissful profitable the league,” stated Slot. “However we didn't shut our eyes for the second a part of the season to what number of occasions we wanted a set piece [to win]. That's not one thing dangerous as a result of Arsenal and Chelsea are needing a set piece virtually each single recreation in the mean time. We've introduced in a really totally different midfielder than we had final season [Florian Wirtz], which we predict we wanted as a result of there was a giant, massive distinction between the quantity of objectives we discovered from open play within the first a part of final season and the second a part of final season.”
Statistics again up Slot. Within the first 19 league video games of his debut season Liverpool scored 47 objectives with 40 (85.1%) coming from open play. Over the ultimate 19 league video games Liverpool scored 39 objectives, of which 27 (69.2%) have been from open play. The drop-off has been corrected this time period, over a small pattern measurement admittedly, with 10 of Liverpool's 12 league objectives scored from open play (83.3%). However Slot's facet stayed out in entrance over the ultimate 19 video games of final season thanks in no small half to eight set-piece objectives (20.5% of the whole), excluding penalties. This season's set-piece tally, excluding penalties, is one (8.3%).
However Liverpool's performances this season, notably the defeats at Crystal Palace and Galatasaray within the area of 4 days, can't be attributed to a decline in set-piece prowess alone. Even their seven-game profitable streak earlier than heading to Selhurst Park was typically accompanied by the caveat that Liverpool received late and/or regardless of an inconsistent show.
Wirtz is but to adapt to the depth of the Premier League and is a £100m expertise that Slot continues to be making an attempt to accommodate to most impact. Liverpool's new full-backs, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, have been staunchly defended by their head coach earlier than the Galatasaray defeat however should not at the moment on the ranges of the gamers they changed, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson. Alexander Isak isn't match sharp having spent the summer season on strike at Newcastle, and Ibrahima Konaté's type has abandoned him. The listing goes on. Solely Hugo Ekitiké, Van Dijk, Alisson, who will miss Saturday's journey to Chelsea with a hamstring harm, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch have carried out persistently effectively this time period.
Liverpool desperately want Alexis Mac Allister to regain full health and his affect over their rhythm, composure and penetration. The Argentina worldwide was neglected of the ultimate two video games of final season to begin his restoration from a persistent groin harm and return match for pre-season. A minimum of that was the plan. The midfielder's rehabilitation took longer than anticipated, pre-season was often interrupted as a consequence, and an important cog in Slot's machine has not accomplished 90 minutes for his membership because the 1-0 win at Leicester on 20 April. “You say he's taking part in catchup,” Slot stated. “In Holland we are saying he walks behind the music.” Liverpool will likely be a unique proposition as soon as Mac Allister is conducting midfield alongside Gravenberch once more.
Slot has extolled the virtues of flexibility in his new-look squad, with the summer season arrivals Wirtz, Ekitiké, Isak and Frimpong capable of play in a wide range of positions, however a group in transition might do with extra consistency in choice to hurry the method. Slot insists his adjustments in personnel have been enforced and there will likely be no change in his method.
“I don't assume we do issues otherwise however I see groups doing numerous issues otherwise towards us,” he stated. “Jürgen [Klopp] gave me numerous presents however one of many presents he gave me was ending up third the 12 months earlier than and fifth the 12 months earlier than that, and him being so well-known {that a} new supervisor got here in and everybody thought: ‘Oh, let's begin to play towards Liverpool.' Groups performed in a very totally different approach within the first half of the season towards us than they did once we have been prime of the league after half of the season.
“It's purely about how groups play towards us in fashion and mentality. In Istanbul, [it looked as if] Galatasaray received the Champions League. For those who have a look at Palace, you have a look at Galatasaray, how a lot they throw themselves in entrance of a ball, these items make it more durable for us to attain from open play than it was within the first a part of final season. That is one thing I already noticed final season. That's why we had the window we had: generally to exchange, generally so as to add a sure high quality.
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“It's as much as us to point out that we are able to do higher in these type of video games than we did within the second a part of final season and the primary a part of this season. Within the meantime, we virtually received each single recreation, proper? However the margins should not the identical any extra as the primary a part of the season: 3-0 Brentford at residence, 6-3 Tottenham and 5-0 West Ham.”
Liverpool possess sufficient world-class expertise to appropriate their unconvincing type, as Jones said this week, however Slot admits the answer is extra advanced than ready for Wirtz and Isak to hit their stride. Stamford Bridge can be a great place to begin, nevertheless.
“It's a mix of issues,” Slot stated. “How do we discover our wingers? Do we discover them typically sufficient and in promising conditions like we did towards Galatasaray? That is what now we have to work on and that is what now we have to do higher than we've achieved till now.
“We unlocked groups within the second half of final season by scoring from seven nook kicks. The group we face tomorrow [Chelsea] have scored greater than 50% of their objectives from set items, though they're on eight factors. The No 2 within the league [Arsenal] has scored 60% of their objectives from set items. So that they have the identical points in the event that they face a low block, however the best way to unlock a low block is to do higher.
“We now have to seek out methods of unlocking that, possibly scoring the primary probability we get or from a set piece. I feel there are sufficient positives to take from this season. For those who speak about open-play objectives, we've achieved significantly better within the first a part of this season than the second a part of final season. However there are issues we undoubtedly have to enhance. I'm the primary one to acknowledge that.”
