Paul Merson has claimed that Arne Slot could be left with ‘a few problems’ at Liverpool if one prospective deadline day transfer goes through.
The Reds have made several headline additions to their squad over the past three months, most notably Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike, and the biggest one of the lot could still be to come once Alexander Isak’s impending move is officially confirmed.
Many pundits have proclaimed the Premier League champions to have had the best transfer window of any top-flight club this summer, but the former Arsenal midfielder fears that the head coach could find it difficult to devise a tactical setup to get the best out of the players at his disposal.
Merson: Isak arrival could leave Slot with ‘a few problems’
Speaking on Sky Sports News in relation to the prospective arrival of Isak, Merson said: “The problem now is Slot’s got decisions to make. If Ekitike comes in, Gakpo won’t play. If Gakpo goes out to the left, then Ekitike won’t play. He’s got a few problems coming up.
“For me, Szoboszlai plays. I know he’s filled in at right-back, but he’ll have to come back into midfield. Did they win the league last year because their midfield was outstanding with Gravenberch, Mac Allister and Szoboszlai?
“All the sudden Wirtz is in there, a £100m player, and at the moment it isn’t working. He’s got a lot of decisions to make. I just think, why don’t they sort it out early doors instead of waiting until the last minute? It’s ridiculous, really.”
Slot will welcome the pleasant selection headache, not curse it!
We get the point that Merson is making, but surely it’s better to have a surplus of options from which to choose, rather than being forced to shoehorn players into unfamiliar positions in order to plug a gap which has been left due to injuries.
Once the upcoming international break is completed, Liverpool face into a punishing sequence of seven matches in 21 days as their Champions League and Carabao Cup commitments begin, and they’ll have similarly intense blocks of fixtures throughout the campaign.
Therefore, the importance of having a deep squad and being able to rotate between various options without diminishing the overall strength of the starting XI can’t be overstated.
Merson is right in suggesting that it’d be harsh on Dominik Szoboszlai to drop out of the line-up, having enjoyed such a terrific start to the season. The Hungarian will have plenty of opportunities to play, though, not least because of his new-found versatility in defence and midfield.
Likewise, Gakpo and Ekitike have done nothing wrong to deserve being dropped once Isak’s transfer is confirmed, but the necessity for rotation will ensure that all of Liverpool’s forwards have ample game-time in the coming months.
Believe us, Slot will welcome the pleasant selection headache!
Every time Paul Merson opens his mouth, a load of old b@llocks flies out.
He won’t have a problem if Isak pulls his hamstring at the weekend and they’re playing in Europe on a Wednesday night against elite opposition – in steps another quality number 9 in Ekitike. It’s called strength in depth.
Merson constantly spouts absolute tosh. Not a single entry offers sane or logical conclusions. He appears to suffer the same level of delusion and blurred version as Arteta
Thats merson for you but we dont need his ideas
The Reds already have 9 points out of 9. It is Arteta and Merson’s Arsenal with a huge problem. But clowns gonna be clowns
Merson is an armchair critic and we hear him loud and clear. Why did he not ask for the job in the first than to try and pull down professionals who know what they are doing. Where was he when we waited for 30 years to win the league. He is an attention seeker.
Classic Merson. Deflecting from Arsenal’s problems with imaginary issues on other clubs