Liverpool’s streak under Arne Slot lasted for three match days. Moreover, the first defeat under his regime couldn’t be worse. Nottingham Forest scored the first goal under the Reds’ new head coach. And to top it all off, this was their first victory at Anfield in 55 years. So there are two streaks that Arne Slot has let go of over Saturday’s game.
The game started with a different poise with Luis Diaz hitting the post. But half an hour into the game, it would seem as if the Merseyside players didn’t have enough intent. While Forest managed to hold their lines in a stellar fashion, Liverpool are to be blamed for having nothing to show for their 69% possession. While there would be a lot of fingers to point at, the managerial critic would surely emphasize the lack of in-game tactical changes.
Could Arne Slot have moved things around more efficiently?
Arne Slot was asked in his post-game interview if the fatigue of the international games caught up with the players. Denying the question straight away, Arne Slot addressed the media via Youtube by saying :
It is always difficult to say this, but I don’t think it has anything to do with it. Players came back strong and I saw today also a team that wanted to fight until the end.
So it had nothing to do with energy, in my opinion, but we simply had the ball a lot and we had to create from ball possession.
While the player’s fitness wasn’t the issue as stated by the head coach, it brings us back to square one. What could’ve been done differently and what could’ve been avoided? The Dutchman used all of his five substitutions in the Forest game.
While we may term it as tactical change, it begins to spark wonders if these are premeditated decisions. Slot has not shifted his starting lineup in his four games in the premier league. While the midfield was filled with the players. Came back after a pack of national duty weeks. He tried to pick up things from where he left off.
Emphasis on Rotating the Squad
A coach can use rotations to force important players out of particular areas of the field and get their most dangerous players closer to the goal. It can also be to change things around on the personal front if his intuition in-game clicks. While we saw Arne Slot use all of his five substitutes, the question is did it increase the efficiency in the final half? The scoreline would beg to differ.
Rotating the squad could be done for various reasons concerning fatigue and tactics. But if not implemented right, you could see the game slipping away. Going in with no change from their last game against Brentford, Arne Slot’s every squad member was on national duty. With players like Quansah, Gakpo, and Endo who didn’t see much action in the International break, a little fresh legs would have made a difference.
While he tried to switch things around with three straight swaps past the hour mark, they made very little impact after coming on. It would also be safe to say it shook things a little for Liverpool. The attacking changes with Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo coming on failed to register even a single shot between them in 30 minutes of game time.
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Liverpool were off to a flying start and calling this a setback would be too harsh. Although considering the Reds rarely lose at Anfield, this list will surely be a wake-up call for Slot. While he has received much praise during the week, there’ll be a lot he will reflect on taking from this game. Liverpool will be put to the test as they visit Milan to kick off their Champions League campaign. While it would be a very different type of game, picking your heads up from this defeat will be important.
