Not everything going wrong at Liverpool is Arne Slot‘s fault but the Dutch coach is not helping himself whatsoever. The Reds have lost three games in a row by three goals – away to Manchester City, which can happen to even the very best football teams, at home to Nottingham Forest and at home to PSV Eindhoven.
There are a multitude of problems contributing to the current Anfield malaise. But there are three players who have started all of those last three games Slot urgently needs to drop if he wants to see any immediate improvement from his ailing Liverpool team…
Ibrahima Konate
Woeful at City, woeful against Forest and woeful against PSV. Konate is an absolutely massive problem for Liverpool right now. He is almost costing the Reds a goal per game with how many mistakes he’s making. The fact he’s holding them to ransom over a new contract is laughable given his current performance levels.
The problem is Liverpool’s other options. Giovanni Leoni’s season is over and Joe Gomez is having to have painkilling injections in his knee and can’t make every training session. Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo are other makeshift options.
In the academy, Amara Nallo has been shown a red card in each of his last two first-team appearances. Rhys Williams is the most senior centre-half in the youth ranks but hasn’t played for the first team since May 2023.
But quite simply, Konate’s form is that bad right now that Slot has to try something different. Putting up with these Konate performances week in, week out will get him sacked. As Jamie Carragher put it on CBS Sports… “I’ve f****** had enough. That Konate. That’s a sackable offence for f****** picking him. Should be sacked for that!”
Alexis Mac Allister
Where on Earth is the PFA Team of the Year Alexis Mac Allister? This current Mac Allister is unrecognisable. He improved in the wins over Aston Villa and Real Madrid but has since regressed to the levels he was showing before then. And those levels are really poor.
Last season he was monstrous out of possession. This season he looks absolutely exhausted, mentally and physically. He’s poorer off the ball and poorer on it. The second goal Forest scored at Anfield underlined his issues, when he was far too weak in the tackle inside the box and was easily beaten leading to the goal.
Mac Allister was also miles away from anyone for PSV’s second and fourth goals. He sorely needs time out of the starting line-up. The problem being that right now, one of Curtis Jones or Dominik Szoboszlai has to play right-back while Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong are sidelined. Time for Endo to come into the XI in midfield, then?
Cody Gakpo
Gakpo is another big problem for Slot right now. He is far too predictable in his desire to consistently cut inside on his right foot and either shoot or clip a cross into the back post. His decision-making has also become too erratic. It’s no wonder his output is down – he’s being figured out by opposition managers.
For phases against Forest and PSV, Gakpo still actually looked dangerous. But when he’s not taking his chances – like the back post header that would have made it 2-2 against the Dutch side – then he’s not worthy of a starting spot. That is not his first bad miss in recent games, there were others against Manchester City and Manchester United in particular.
With Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike now injured, Slot has fewer options for West Ham this weekend. But again, like Konate, it has to change. Federico Chiesa and Rio Ngumoha are right there. If he cannot trust either of them over this current version of Gakpo, Liverpool really are up the creek.
Potential Liverpool XI vs West Ham after changes: Alisson; Jones, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Endo, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai; Salah, Isak, Chiesa