Liverpool manager Arne Slot is facing mounting scrutiny after former Reds midfielder Danny Murphy publicly slammed his tactical use of Mohamed Salah during the club's disappointing 3-0 defeat at Manchester City.
Murphy's damning verdict on Salah's role
The criticism centres on Salah's apparent lack of defensive responsibilities, which Murphy believes directly contributed to the effectiveness of City's left-back, Nico O'Reilly. Murphy, who made over 200 appearances for Liverpool, expressed his astonishment while speaking on talkSPORT.
"Giving Salah the license to not defend against a left-back who loves going forward and isn’t even a left-back in O’Reilly, who has been brilliant recently, I couldn’t believe what I was watching to be honest," Murphy stated. He emphasised that the issue is one of persistent tactical setup, adding, "I don’t know how he (Slot) can keep watching the same thing and not change it."
A deeper problem for the champions
This tactical debate comes against a backdrop of a significant drop in form for the reigning Premier League champions. While Salah's goals were instrumental in firing Liverpool to the title last season, the current campaign tells a different story.
After 11 matches, Liverpool sit eighth in the table with just 18 points – a stark contrast to the 28 points they had accumulated at the same stage last season. This ten-point deficit highlights the scale of the challenge facing Slot.
The team's struggles have been compounded by the slow start of record signing Alexander Isak. The Swedish international, still regaining fitness after missing a proper pre-season, has managed only four league appearances and is yet to find the net.
Path to recovery
Attention now turns to Liverpool's next fixture against Nottingham Forest this Saturday. There is a potential boost with both Isak and Salah expected to be involved. Salah, in particular, should be well-rested after Egypt granted him permission to sit out their international friendly against Cape Verde.
Isak struck a positive note after returning to action with Sweden, saying, "Now I'm back and I'm positive... with experience you learn to deal with things. That's how it is with injuries and all that. You learn to deal with it and get back on track the right way."
For Slot, the immediate task is clear: address the identified tactical frailties and orchestrate a swift response from his team to halt their slide down the table.
