Arne Slot Considers Major Overhaul Ahead of West Ham United Visit

Gilabola.com – Liverpool entered the important match against West Ham United in less than ideal conditions, after a heavy defeat to PSV, declining performance in various lines, injuries to key players, and demands for Arne Slot to make big changes.

Questions regarding starter composition, player fitness and tactical choices dominate the team’s preparations ahead of Sunday’s match which will be a very important week for Slot.

Slot is now re-evaluating various decisions, especially after the 4-1 defeat to PSV which made Liverpool’s performance even more worrying. This defeat was the ninth in the last 12 matches in all competitions.

He previously replaced Alexander Isak with Hugo Ekitike and brought on Giorgi Mamardashvili for the sick Alisson. However, these changes have not had the expected effect.

Ekitike had performed quite well before suffering a back injury, while Mamardashvili couldn’t do much because he was often left facing dangerous opportunities from his opponents.

If Alisson is declared fit, Slot is expected to immediately return the main goalkeeper’s position to under the crossbar, considering that his stability is considered important as the foundation of Liverpool’s game.

Another problem arises in the right-back position. Curtis Jones did not appear ideal when filling that position against PSV. He even complained about the lack of fighting spirit in the team.

With Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong absent, Jones may again be deployed on the right side, although Joe Gomez is another option. However, Gomez has just had an injection in her knee, so she is not fully ready to play 90 minutes.

On the left side, Milos Kerkez’s position is also in the spotlight. He has looked to struggle in the last few games, especially as Liverpool conceded seven goals in the two home games he was in the squad for. This condition gives Andy Robertson a great opportunity to return to the left back position.

Serious Challenges in the Midfield and Front Line

Ibrahima Konate is having a bad season, but circumstances force him to play. With Gomez not yet fit, Slot has almost no other options at center back so Konate and Virgil van Dijk are likely to remain the main duo.

The condition of the midfield is not completely safe. Dominik Szoboszlai entered this season with a fairly stable performance, but the need to patch midfield leaks made Slot re-consider the role of defensive midfielders. Florian Wirtz’s fitness also remains unclear.

On the front lines, Federico Chiesa showed high effort and work ethic. On the other hand, Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah have not performed convincingly in recent weeks.

Isak is still not in the best condition and often does not show his influence in matches. However, he could be forced to step down because Ekitike has back problems. Although Ekitike showed signs that he was fine, his body language indicated otherwise.

Liverpool are also still grappling with the fact that new players such as Isak, Wirtz and Kerkez were recruited at a cost of almost IDR 10 trillion, but have not had the expected impact. The team’s declining performance made the pressure on Slot even greater.

This situation has become the most difficult time for Liverpool since the 1950s, even though the current squad is considered much more talented than that time. Slots are now required to stop the negative trend before the dream of qualifying for the Champions League flies again.