Wayne Rooney names Liverpool player who ‘damages the balance’ of Arne Slot’s system
Liverpool suffered their first Premier League defeat of the season on Saturday to Crystal Palace and the balance of their team needs to be addressed.
Michah Richards raised valid concerns about Ibrahima Konate’s form after the Frenchman saw his performance levels drop amid rumours that Real Madrid are close to an agreement with Ibrahima Konate. The 26-year-old made two errors leading to a shot and was dribbled past once against Crystal Palace.
Mohamed Salah’s drop off has also been mapped with major concerns over the Liverpool winger’s form this season after his worst-ever start to a season since joining the club in 2017. Two goals and two assists in six games is hardly atrocious, but the 33-year-old has not been playing well at all.
Meanwhile, Liverpool are exploring alternatives to Giovanni Leoni after the Italian was confirmed to have suffered an ACL rupture. He watched on as Marc Guehi assisted Eddie Nketiah’s winner for Palace.
Wayne Rooney questions need for Liverpool signing Florian Wirtz
Liverpool signed Florian Wirtz for £116million in the summer transfer window. Hailed at the time as a groundbreaking move, the German is struggling to find his role in Arne Slot’s team.
Against Palace, he had some good touches but seemed unsure of himself.
Wayne Rooney has asserted that Liverpool didn’t actually need to sign him, while stating that Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak are good signings for the Reds.
Speaking on ‘The Wayne Rooney Show’, the former Manchester United striker said: “I would have gone for Ekitike and Isak.
“I think Wirtz actually damages the balance of Liverpool, how they play him.
“But he’s a top player and I’m sure he will get better, of course he will, but he’s had a slow start and I think there’s no denying it.”
Arne Slot needs to define Wirtz’s role at Liverpool clearly
While Wirtz hasn’t been perfect for Liverpool, it’s unclear how Arne Slot wants to use him.
So far, the German has been used on the left wing, as a No.10 and in a midfield three.
Against Palace, despite starting on the left flank, Wirtz’s heatmap shows he played more on the right than anywhere else. This meant that, at times, Wirtz, Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Conor Bradley all occupied the same space.
Wirtz is a world-class player and is still very young. There are also several new signings adjusting to life at Anfield, so it’s likely he will come right at Liverpool, but Slot needs to make it easier on him by giving him more positional consistency.