Arne Slot has major issues to fix at Liverpool as alarm bells start to ring

The Premier League trophy serves as ample proof that Arne Slot possessed the golden touch following his appointment as Jurgen Klopp's successor last summer.

However, the Dutchman's spectacular debut campaign was always going to be difficult to replicate, and this is now becoming apparent. That magical influence certainly abandoned the Reds during their encounter with Galatasaray, where they appeared sluggish and lacklustre throughout much of the contest.

Liverpool's disappointing performance in Istanbul hardly provided the remedy needed to overcome the surprising defeat to Crystal Palace at the weekend. For perspective, this marks only the second occasion in 15 months that Liverpool has suffered consecutive defeats under Slot's guidance, so we're hardly witnessing a crisis.

Nevertheless, even throughout the string of victories that preceded the matches against Palace and Galatasaray, there has been a sense of fragility surrounding the champions. A total of 10 matches into the fresh campaign, following a record-breaking summer of investment, and Liverpool appears considerably short of the standards that delivered the club's 20th league championship under Slot's leadership.

With major acquisitions struggling to make their mark and the side appearing unusually fragile, the Reds manager faces significant reflection during the forthcoming international break...

Case for defensive solidity

"Attack wins you games, defense wins you titles," Sir Alex Ferguson famously declared. The legendary boss of Liverpool's fierce rival, Manchester United, certainly understood the art of claiming silverware.

Liverpool's defense formed the foundation of its Premier League triumph under Slot last season, yet that resilience has been completely absent this campaign. Across the Reds' first 10 fixtures, they have shipped 13 goals whilst managing merely two clean sheets. Following the equivalent number of matches last term, Liverpool had secured six shutouts.

Beyond the statistics, the Reds appear vulnerable; Slot's squad was dissected far too readily on multiple occasions by a Galatasaray outfit unlikely to make significant waves in the Champions League this season, with its players afforded the run of Istanbul at times to drift and find space for passes.

On an individual basis, Ibrahima Konate and summer acquisition Milos Kerkez have performed below expectations, with hopes that both will discover their rhythm in the forthcoming weeks. On several occasions already this term, late strikes have masked underlying problems. However, despite the abundance of attacking prowess at Slot's command, such an approach feels unsustainable throughout an entire season.

Chemistry problem

Liverpool's problems extend beyond defensive frailties, though goals have flowed freely at the other end of the field. "You can see the chemistry is not right at this present moment in time," former Reds striker Daniel Sturridge said on Amazon Prime, and he's hit the nail on the head.

Liverpool is still establishing itself following tactical adjustments to accommodate Florian Wirtz, with the process taking longer than anticipated to achieve the proper equilibrium. Mohamed Salah serves as a prime illustration: the Reds' talisman delivered his finest ever season last year but has appeared restrained by his own extraordinarily high benchmarks thus far this campaign, though he still boasts three goals and three assists.

Maximising the potential of Salah and the Reds' other costly attacking acquisitions in Wirtz, Alexander Isak, and Hugo Ekitike remains crucial.

Better or Wirtz?

Wirtz has commanded the headlines throughout this season following his transfer from Bayer Leverkusen. Regrettably for Liverpool and the German, it's not for positive reasons.

The player now faces eight matches without a goal contribution, having previously produced the remarkable on an almost weekly basis in the Bundesliga but appearing rather unremarkable during the early stages of his Premier League journey.

He - quite understandably - appears a player lacking confidence following such a beginning to life at Anfield. Jamie Carragher demanded Wirtz be removed from the spotlight after the Galatasaray match, stating: "Right now, the balance of the team is not right, and the obvious one that stands out is Florian Wirtz, who is just not at the races at all. He's a young boy, coming to a new league, and has plenty of time to go.

"But right now, he needs to come out of the team, Liverpool go back to what they were last season, and try to build some confidence and some stability. Right now it looks like a mess."

The truth of the matter is that Slot has yet to unlock Wirtz's full potential. Considering he was the club's standout summer signing, it's certain he'll be given more opportunities, so resolving the Wirtz conundrum may well be Slot's most urgent task at present.

Determine best team

After competing on four fronts last season and splashing out on new signings, it was always likely that Slot and Liverpool would rotate the squad more this season, a fact even acknowledged by the Reds boss himself. However, a challenging away match against Galatasaray probably wasn't the best time to test Jeremie Frimpong in a more forward position ahead of Dominik Szoboszlai.

It seems as though Slot is still figuring out his best team following a significant transfer window. Ekitike has arguably made the most notable impact among the Reds' new signings, but even his place in the team is uncertain when Isak is fully fit and on form. Things will stabilize once Slot determines his optimal team. In fairness to him, he hasn't really had the chance to do that just yet.