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Alexander Isak‘s ineffectiveness off the bench against Galatasaray wasn’t a reflection of a striker lacking form, but more a symptom of Liverpool’s poor performance as a whole.
This was just the second time Liverpool have lost consecutive games under Arne Slot – the other occasion coming in March against Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle.
This was Galatasaray’s first clean sheet in 24 Champions League matches. This was only the fifth occasion Liverpool have failed to score since Slot took over.
None of the statistics make for good reading, but perhaps the most indicative of the team’s lack of cohesion was the fact Alexander Isak had just four touches during his 36 minutes on the pitch, according to FotMob.
That equates to just one touch every nine minutes. By comparison, Liverpool’s striker away at PSG last season, Diogo Jota, averaged a touch every two minutes and 14 seconds in a game that saw the Reds have just 30 percent possession.
Clearly, then, something is wrong if Liverpool can’t get their £125 million striker in the game, even if he is still getting up to full speed.
Liverpool aren’t creating chances like they used to
Often when a striker is not involved in the game, it is symptomatic of a team failing to gain any sort of attacking fluidity.
Creating chances was never a problem last season. Even if the striker wasn’t converting, you could be sure he would be a presence in the game.
This year, however, despite fielding more attackers and bringing in Florian Wirtz, Liverpool’s chance creation is down.
Last season, FotMob tells us Liverpool created 150 big chances in the Premier League – that works out as 3.9 per game.
In contrast, since the start of this season the Reds have created just 2.5 big chances per game in the league.
We can also see this drop-off on an individual level, with Mo Salah creating an average of 1.1 fewer chances per 90 minutes than his 2.4 last season.
Why are Liverpool creating fewer chances?
When Slot arrived at Liverpool, he wanted to instil a style of play that asserted more control over the opposition than Jurgen Klopp‘s team may have done.
The mantra of “kill them with passes” we heard Slot shout at his players last summer seems to have been forgotten.
The first half against Galatasaray was a basketball-like affair, as both teams failed to nail down possession, not for the first time in a Liverpool match this season.
The lack of control Liverpool are possessing in some games this season is in part down to a change in formation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWJZKQs4v5Q
This season, due to the introduction of Wirtz, Liverpool are exhibiting a lineup closer to 4-2-3-1 than the 4-3-3 that proved so successful last season.
Fewer bodies in midfield and Ryan Gravenberch‘s frequent attacking runs off the ball have left the Reds’ defence exposed.
It has meant opposition teams are able to break more often, making the ball stick with their forwards and halting Liverpool’s control.
Slot’s side are no longer putting teams to the sword with death by passes, but are instead failing to sustain intense periods around the opposition’s box.
Getting the best out of Mo Salah
As well as being the Premier League‘s top scorer last season with 29 goals, Salah also finished top of the assists standings by some distance, managing 18, six more than second-place Jacob Murphy.
His inarguable dip in form has contributed to Liverpool’s sub-par performances in the last two matches, but his level has been lower for longer than just the last week.
With just one non-penalty goal in his first six league starts, the Egyptian has suffered from playing in a wider position than last year.
This has been compounded by the exit of Trent Alexander-Arnold, who built an excellent understanding with Salah over nearly eight years playing together.
Returning to a system closer to the one we saw last season could help him return to form and receive the ball in more dangerous positions.
It would seem strange to continue inhibiting a man who managed more combined goals and assists last season than anyone else in Europe’s top five leagues.
Having your top creator and most highly-paid player back at the races should be the first objective for Slot when working out how to fix some of the campaign’s early issues.
With a firing Salah, Isak certainly wouldn’t be touching the ball just once every nine minutes, that is for certain.
FotMob is an essential app for every fan to keep up to date with their team or follow football worldwide, their incredible new features provide all you could ever want and information you never knew you needed! You can download the FotMob App here.
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