🔗 Share this article

It appears that Mohamed Salah's limited defensive work has turned into a slight problem for the Merseyside club, especially against stronger teams.

It's understandable if manager Arne Slot has instructed Salah not to track back, because staying high on the right flank when regaining possession has established him as one of the world's most dangerous strikers.

However, the teammates in support fail to offer sufficient cover, creating significant challenges for anyone is playing at right-back in recent matches.

Be it Conor Bradley or Dominik Szoboszlai, they end up in difficulty due to facing a 2v1 overload on that flank.

It proved a noticeable weakness in the recent match, leading to the opponent's winning goal – and the worry is that more teams will smartly exploit this same area.

{'Salah Has License to Avoid Defensive Work

First of all, I doubt that the manager is instructing Salah to help defensively and assist his right-back.

If he was told to mark Chelsea's left-back his direct opponent, then this was extremely evident he did not comply, and Slot would not accept that.

Instead, Slot is granting him the freedom to focus exclusively on offensive duties, which is acceptable – we've seen numerous instances of other teams adopting similar tactics, with players who prefer to conserve their energy for attacking actions.

Yes, there are still specific situations in a game when you are conceding chances and one might take it upon yourself to track back.

It's known he can do it, since when they won at a top rival last season, his work rate was among the best I've seen from him.

However, he likely been specifically asked to perform that role on that occasion, which is why I am not criticizing him if he has been asked to remain advanced.

'The Real Issue Is The Way The Team Are Structured Behind Salah'

The issue with Salah stems from how the side are organized behind him, especially against top opponents.

His teammates must offer more and quicker help, as it seemed like Chelsea were advancing the ball forward and subsequently shifting it to their left, since that's where the gap existed.

If a Liverpool midfielder moved wide belatedly – whether it be Ryan Gravenberch – then he created space in central areas in front of the back line because they were missing a player from the center.

This situation becomes less of a problem when facing opponents that you dominate the ball against – as we've seen their past success playing this way – but they must tighten up as the top sides will take advantage.

'Liverpool Are Losing Command of Games'

It is not as if Salah has altered his duties this season, but since he is failing to find the net at the other end, perhaps the defensive side of his game is amplified.

I'm not too concerned about his form, as he will return to form – history shows – in terms of his finishing.

He found some excellent positions versus Chelsea but perhaps shot when he should have passed, and the opposite, but those chances will keep coming and the goals will follow.

The biggest worry with the team currently is their lack of command in matches compared to last season.

It has been a disappointing period for them, of course, not only to suffer multiple matches in a row in the domestic league and Champions League but because the performance levels have not been what we expect.

We must consider mitigating factors, of course, with the numerous personnel changes in the summer and the number of players who did not have pre-season, but last season Slot's Liverpool seemed so effective at managing games and that is no longer the situation.

It felt like their defensive shape was solid, and his more possession-based approach provided better control.

It was something that people instantly saw he had added to the team, compared to what it was like under the former coach.

Currently, however, I watch them and it looks a bit chaotic. The final 30 minutes of the Chelsea match was so frenetic it resembled a knockout game – they had chances to win it, but gave away several opportunities too, which is why they ultimately losing.

{How Can The Manager Fix The Team's Problems?

There are a few aspects that are off about the club, and repeatedly notice them giving the ball away, but I don't see an unresolvable scenario.

Even though they have some new players – and different types too – they don't need to change their approach. They just need to get back to being slightly more patient and calm.

The positive news is they are only one point behind table-toppers Arsenal and have opportunity to correct the issues that are going wrong.

Fitness element they are lacking will improve as the individuals who missed a proper pre-season, such as midfielders and full-backs, will reach peak fitness shortly.

Building effective understanding on the pitch requires patience too, whether it be between the defender and the forward or additional key pairings.

So, there is no reason to overreact. It seems like currently in the top flight, and not just with Liverpool but with every side, you are a single match away from 'crisis' and criticism.

The reality is the recent results to Liverpool this week will likely occur at some point to Arsenal and rivals this season.

I had not previously believed City would be in the title race, but if their star striker stays motivated and healthy they will compete.

Arsenal, in defence, appear excellent again and, in general, after seven games they appear very comfortable in what they are doing in all areas – it seems a continuation of their previous form, with an added layer of quality and depth.

With Liverpool it seems more of a transition right now. But although there is ongoing work to do for them to establish the optimal equilibrium and combinations, it is expected all is anticipating them to improve as the campaign unfolds.