Gary Neville has argued that Arne Slot must make a major formation change – including dropping several big-name players – to rescue Liverpool’s season.
The champions’ title defence is in disarray after a 3-0 defeat by Nottingham Forest at the weekend confirmed their sixth loss in seven Premier League matches. They now sit 11th, 11 points behind leaders Arsenal.
The Reds have conceded 20 goals in their opening 12 league games and kept only three clean sheets. Neville has urged Slot to abandon his preferred 4-3-2-1 and switch to a 4-4-2 to strengthen Liverpool’s defensive structure.
Against Forest, Liverpool started Dominik Szoboszlai, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk and Milos Kerkez.
Speaking on The Gary Neville Podcast, Neville said: ‘The manager has to change the style or the system and help them. It means being more solid in midfield and the back, and personnel changes.
‘(Milos) Kerkez is struggling, Konate is struggling so do you have to put four centre-backs in your back four and keep a narrow, tight back four and tell everyone you mean business to keep clean sheets and stop teams having chances on your goal.
The champions’ title defence is in disarray after a 3-0 defeat by Nottingham Forest at the weekend confirmed their sixth loss in seven Premier League games and they now sit in 11th
Garry Neville has urged Slot to abandon his preferred 4-3-2-1 and switch to a 4-4-2 to strengthen Liverpool’s defensive structure and make them harder to break down
‘(Milos) Kerkez is struggling, Konate is struggling so do you have to put four centre-backs in your back four and keep a narrow, tight back four,’ Neville said on the Gary Neville Podcast
‘Then in midfield, you put a narrow four in there. That could be Szoboszlai, (Alexis) Mac Allister, (Ryan) Gravenberch and (Florian) Wirtz or (Cody) Gakpo tucked in a bit more narrow and you might leave (Mohamed) Salah off (Hugo) Ekitike or (Alexander) Isak or play Ekitike and Isak.
‘Leave them up there, work as a two and do something a bit different. It feels a bit basic and I’m telling Arne Slot what to do but I’ve seen world-class managers drop their ego on how we are going to play, forget we’re a great side and a great club – you’re not as this moment, you’re easily beatable so have to do something different and pay teams respect and change.’
Slot has struggled at right-back ever since Trent Alexander-Arnold’s summer move to Real Madrid ended his highly productive partnership with Mohamed Salah.
Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley are both injured, and Slot has been deploying Szoboszlai – a natural attacking midfielder – in the role, often leaving Liverpool vulnerable.
Liverpool’s second defeat in their past three home league games matches the number they suffered in their previous 53, placing Slot under serious pressure.
Neville continued: ‘I called on it a few weeks ago, I said maybe Joe Gomez should play right-back, Andy Robertson at left-back and play as a narrow back four. Be a bit more pragmatic. Something has to change in the collective in terms of how they are going to play.
‘From an individual perspective you have to strip it right back to the foundations, whether that’s sleep, stretching, eating, the tiny details. Do everything better.
‘Slot is a brilliant manager with real class, but he’s got to reverse and do something different – maybe make some difficult decisions. He’s going to come under pressure, let’s not get too carried away with that. The players have to step up, or it will become a problem.’
Jeremie Frimpong and Conor Bradley are both injured, and Slot has been deploying Szoboszlai – a natural attacking midfielder – at right back in their absence, often leaving them vulnerable
Neville has called on the ‘leaders and captains’ to provide some stability to the dressing room
While this run of form seems to be teetering on the edge of a full-blown crisis, Neville added that he does not believe Slot’s position is in any immediate danger.
‘There’s no way that Arne Slot should be in danger or losing his job. I’ve heard murmurs; you go on social media and all that nonsense, forget that,’ he said.
‘This is a really good manager, who’s a brilliant front man for the club as well in the way he handles himself. He’s got real class. For me, he’s having a really bad time.
‘He’s going to come under pressure; people are going to start saying the fatal words of, “Is he in trouble?” but let’s not get too carried away with that. He’s just signed £450million worth of players and he’s got to try and settle them in.
‘Those players who have come into the club have got to step up and prove they can deliver, and the players who have been there a long time – the leaders, captains and experienced players – have to provide stability in the dressing room so the new players don’t feel like they’re taking all the pressure themselves.’
The fixtures are coming thick and fast for Slot’s side. On Wednesday they host PSV in the Champions League before travelling to London to face West Ham on Sunday. They will then have a three-day turnaround before the visit of Sunderland to Anfield in the top-flight.
