2 weeks ago
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Former Liverpool defender and current analyst Jamie Carragher recently suggested that the Reds must rethink how they deploy their high-profile attacking signings, and the timing couldn’t be more urgent, after Carragher responded to Wayne Rooney's criticism of Mohamed Salah.
Liverpool is reeling after a fourth consecutive defeat and a summer outlay of more than £400 million that has yet to deliver the expected results.
The integration of Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike into the squad has been anything but smooth. Wirtz, who moved from Bayer Leverkusen in a club-record £100 million deal, has yet to register a Premier League goal or assist in his first eight appearances, despite drawing Luka Modric comparisons from Jamie Redknapp.
Manager Arne Slot has called the circumstances “unlucky,” but the concerns are mounting.
"He's been a bit unlucky with the finishing when he's given his teammates chances but, in general for a 22-year-old, it's quite normal that you have to adjust to going to another country let alone going to the Premier League,” Slot said.
Meanwhile, Ekitike, signed for approximately £79 million from Eintracht Frankfurt, started promisingly with five goals in ten appearances, but he’s been left out of the starting line-up in key recent matches.
Carragher argued: “Wirtz can’t be kept on the bench forever. He plays in that left channel for Germany and that is where he did so well at Leverkusen. … Ekitike could play off Isak and playing Wirtz there and coming inside, it could get Kerkez higher up the pitch.”
“It is about getting that front five up the pitch. … When you have spent big money, you have to get those players out there together. … It will be interesting to see how he gets Isak, Ekitike and Wirtz in the team because at some point, he has to when you pay that much money for them.”
That turbulence comes amid a slump for Liverpool. The club’s 2-1 home defeat to Manchester United extended their losing streak to four.
Slot admitted the challenge is significant: “Losing four in a row is another challenge. That’s the life of a football manager.” The heavy spend and disappointing return have raised questions about the direction of the squad.
Tactically, Slot is shifting away from the system that brought success under the previous regime, moving from a 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1 setup to accommodate players like Wirtz and Ekitike. But the new structure has not yielded clarity or cohesion on the pitch.
In reality, Wirtz has been “shoe-horned” into roles that may not suit him, deployed on the left yet expected to deliver the cutting edge he showed at Leverkusen. And Ekitike, despite his early promise, finds himself behind both Isak and the veteran Mohamed Salah in selection.
The result: a squad that on paper is brimming with talent but lacks coherence. If Liverpool are to salvage their season, Slot must deliver immediate clarity on how Wirtz, Ekitike, and Isak fit together.
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