Brighton win helps Arne Slot DISCOVER surprise Firmino replacement
Cast your mind back to Arne Slot’s first game in charge of Liverpool during the pre-season tour to the United States.
With depleted numbers in the squad - owing to various players’ involvement with the Copa America and European Championship - the new boss had to rely on the academy to bulk up the numbers and had to field a pretty unconventional XI in order to legislate for the lack of strikers in his travelling party.
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Harvey Elliott and Dominik Szoboszlai were fielded as a makeshift front two, effectively playing as a pair of false nines in that opening game of the tour against Real Betis. It was a dominant first-half display from the Reds, before a sequence of substitutions disrupted the rhythm of the game.
Szoboszlai as the furthest man forward scored the only goal of the game and overall had a pretty effective game in the position.
With Darwin Nunez returning to the squad after the Copa and Diogo Jota coming back after the Euros that plan was quickly shelved before the season got going properly.
Arne Slot seeks striking options
But the fixture is beginning to bite and Slot is now looking at alternative options through the centre.
Diogo Jota was injured in the Premier League game against Chelsea and is likely to be out until the next international break. That is likely to increase the burden on Nunez over the coming weeks.
However the game against Brighton on Wednesday night demonstrated that when the Uruguayan is in need of a rest Slot is not afraid to go back to the pre-season playbook.
“It is a pity that Jota is not available,” Slot said in his pre-game press conference. “And [Federico] Chiesa is also not available as they were, in my opinion, the most logical No.9s, but we still have other options.”
It was intriguing to note that Slot would consider Chiesa for a central striking role, had he been fit, but it was Szoboszlai who was utilised as a false nine against the Seagulls in the Carabao Cup.
Liverpool's dearth of striking talent
And while the Hungarian captain is no Roberto Firmino yet in terms of how he can adjust to the demands of the hybrid role it is fascinating to note that Slot will use him there.
The head coach has demanded that the No.8 increase his goal-scoring numbers - as well as his chance creation - and in that context he definitely should have netted against Brighton.
He missed quite a straightforward one v one and both coach and player will be hoping for better end product if the experiment continues. However, his pressing from the front was good.
Liverpool are not as stocked in the No.9 position as you might expect. Beyond Jota and Nunez there is a lack of cover. And with Jota injured so frequently it would be no surprise to see them ove for a new performer in the position over the next couple of transfer windows.
But in the meantime we could see Szoboszlai used there again.
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