🔗 Share this article Defence Problems Present Larger Challenge for Liverpool's Manager Compared to Making Alexander Isak and Salah to Score It is now appropriate to commence assessing Alexander Isak equitably as a £125m Anfield striker, the Liverpool head coach stated on the weekend. Therefore, evaluation needs to be severe, but as Britain’s costliest player sat alongside Mohamed Salah on the Reds bench while the English top-flight champions struggled to secure an leveler versus their rivals without them, it was not Slot’s underperforming forward line that deserved the harshest blame at the stadium. His backline structure has vanished. Anonymous Performance from Key Forwards Yes, Isak was largely quiet in the No 9 role and the Egyptian winger subpar once more as his personal struggles continued versus the club he typically plunders. The Sweden player had his initial attempt on goal in the Premier League as a Liverpool member in the first half, well saved by the opposition's new goalkeeper the young keeper. The forward wasted a glorious after the break opportunity in front of the home end and could not complain when their substitution were shown. Cody Gakpo also hit the woodwork three times and somehow failed to score a another goal moments after the defender's decisive goal. Unthinkable Loss Despite Chances It should have been unthinkable for the hosts to lose a match in which they created so many chances, Slot claimed. But it is possible with a defence in such condition, as Crystal Palace, Chelsea and currently United have shown. Backline Breakdown Under Scrutiny As he presided over a fourth consecutive defeat as Liverpool manager, the first person to do so after Brendan Rodgers in years past, Slot must have felt dismayed at a defence display that invited the visitors to seize control as well as their first victory at Anfield since January 2016. Filled with the repeated issues that Liverpool’s coaching staff had worked on fixing following the pause, including yet another set-piece score, it was a performance that completely undermined the champions’ after halftime recovery and cost them the match. Momentum Lost Even with Uptick Momentum was finally with the home side when Gakpo cancelled out Bryan Mbeumo’s quick opener. Liverpool could feel one more last-minute win with replacements one attacker, a midfielder and another forward igniting improvement and the opposition in defensive mode. Instead, it was a further late Premier League defeat, the third straight, after the team's set-piece frailties re-emerged and Maguire found himself among several opposition members unmarked past Ibrahima Konaté in the closing stages. Organized Opposition Excel A thumping goal into the goal that the player blazed over in the dying seconds of the previous campaign's tie gave the United manager the finest win of his challenging club tenure. Despite the negativity surrounding the coach it was his squad that played with definite plan and a well-executed approach for the bulk of a compelling encounter. The first consecutive league victories of Amorim’s reign were the result. The Liverpool team again looked like unfamiliar at times, especially when allowing a dead-ball goal for the fifth occasion in the division the current campaign. Early Opener Reveals Backline Issues Liverpool were found wanting from the start to the execution of Mbeumo’s quick-fire first goal. There was no purchase on the initial header from the captain, a likely result of having to go through two players to reach the ball, to be fair, and little challenge on the playmaker when he received the ball and released the winger in space on the right. the defender was slow to react, Van Dijk slow to track back and follow Mbeumo’s movement while Giorgi Mamardashvili, filling in for the injured first-choice keeper in goal, was comfortably beaten from the angle. Officiating and Concentration Questions The manager could reasonably question his decisions and ask where the whistle was from Michael Oliver, an official with whom he has a feisty history, but also doubt the concentration and communication levels his defenders. The forward's strike indicates Slot’s team have managed only a couple of shutouts in 12 matches this season, the last occurring eight games ago at another ground. Constant Exploitation of Left Flank United carved open Liverpool’s left flank frequently in a opening period in which the midfielder, Mason Mount and also Gakpo all nearly scored to increasing the visitors’ lead. Releasing Diallo quickly versus the full-back was obviously part of Amorim’s gameplan. It worked time and again in the opening 45 minutes. The £40m new arrival from his former club endured another difficult evening in a club shirt. Set-pieces were even a problem for Andy Robertson’s chosen successor, who almost put the forward in on goal while making an challenge. The defender and the captain seem on not in sync at present. Coach's Explanation and Admission “We take a many gambles,” the head coach explained following United’s win. “Following the 62nd minute we had multiple offensive players on the pitch. This is perhaps why our structure for the set-piece was less organized as we usually are. Usually we would have additional defensive players on the field. Perhaps it is a coincidence but it is not an excuse. We know we have to do better.”