Slot's Liverpool 2.0 is launched - and there are bugs to fix

Arne Slot's Liverpool 2.0 sewage their expansive unveiling astatine Wembley connected Sunday and nan reviews are in. Occasionally brilliant, occasionally shambolic, pinch improvements needed.

Four of Liverpool's summertime signings made their first competitory starts for nan nine successful nan Community Shield, which they mislaid connected penalties to Crystal Palace.

Record £116m acquisition Florian Wirtz started successful attacking midfield, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez formed a new-look full-back pairing, while Hugo Ekitike led nan statement arsenic nan cardinal striker.

The only caller look not successful nan starting XI was goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, who was connected nan chair arsenic Alisson kept his place.

And location were immoderate clear signs nan revamp whitethorn lead to spectacular results. The crippled vanished 2-2, pinch nan goals coming done Ekitike and Frimpong. It is nan first clip Liverpool person had 2 players people connected their competitory debuts since August 2006, erstwhile Craig Bellamy and Mark Gonzalez netted against Maccabi Haifa.

But Liverpool 2.0 person bugs. They doubly had leads pegged back, were often sloppy successful defence, and were connected nan ropes towards nan end.

"We person 4 caller players - we request clip to adapt," Slot said astatine his post-match media convention astatine Wembley.

In this regard, nan Community Shield was not an isolated incident. In Monday's 3-2 friends triumph against Athletic Bilbao, Liverpool conceded doubly from set-pieces.

Palace arguably had only 2 large chances successful this crippled - Jean-Philippe Mateta's 13th-minute punishment and Ismaila Sarr bursting done pinch 12 minutes to go. They scored both.

As Slot pithily said: "We don't concede chances, but we concede goals."

Let's commencement astatine nan back. For years, particularly nether Jurgen Klopp, 1 of Liverpool's defining traits was nan attacking impetus brought by full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson.

Frimpong and Kerkez are, successful galore ways, successful a akin mould - overmuch much attacking than accepted full-backs.

But, while Kerkez is adjacent identical to Robertson successful really he plays, Frimpong stays acold wider than his predecessor. Don't expect galore Alexander-Arnold-like adventures into cardinal midfield - but do expect immoderate good, old-fashioned overlapping runs.

This attacking consciousness led straight to Liverpool's 2nd extremity erstwhile Frimpong jinked into nan area and chipped Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson. Whether he meant to people aliases not, nan dash into nan container was a spectacular and impudent portion of skill.

However, successful defence, issues remain. Liverpool will person hoped that Frimpong would bring nan protect solidity they sometimes lacked pinch Alexander-Arnold, but nan Dutchman played Sarr onside for nan 2nd equaliser.

And it was not only astatine full-back wherever Liverpool looked defensively suspect. They were opened excessively easy earlier nan first-half punishment - Mateta was group free by a done ball, starring to nan onslaught which ended successful Virgil van Dijk fouling Sarr.

There was not a recognised centre-back connected Liverpool's bench. Jarell Quansah has departed for Bayer Leverkusen and Joe Gomez "has a insignificant injury".

Slot expects him to beryllium backmost soon, but Liverpool request to motion astatine slightest 1 much cardinal defender earlier nan transportation deadline connected 1 September.

The 1 they would for illustration to motion captained nan guidance astatine Wembley. Marc Guehi - subject of transportation speculation arsenic he enters nan past twelvemonth of his statement - erstwhile again laid everything connected nan statement for Palace earlier being subbed successful nan dying seconds because of cramp.

Moving into midfield, Wirtz was nan outstanding Liverpool subordinate astatine Wembley. Slot has intelligibly tweaked nan strategy to suit their grounds signing - and nan early signs are positive.

Wirtz has been fixed a domiciled freer and further guardant than Liverpool had antecedently from an attacking midfielder - they had cipher to do that domiciled past season.

He almost formed a onslaught business pinch Ekitike astatine times, truthful adjacent together were they. Indeed by nan clip he was substituted, Wirtz was playing arsenic a mendacious 9 pinch Ekitike already taken off.

This state allowed nan German to float wide near aft 4 minutes, to prime up nan shot and play successful Ekitike for nan opener.

There were 22 passes successful nan build-up to Liverpool's first goal, a move that lasted 66 seconds and progressive 9 players.

Until being taken disconnected successful nan 84th minute, Wirtz looked perfectly balanced, ever successful control, ne'er flustered. His power each complete nan transportation for Liverpool is already clear.

At nan constituent of his substitution, Wirtz led Liverpool for passes and entries successful nan last third, crosses and touches successful nan Palace box. He had nan 3rd astir touches successful total. Everything went done him.

"It has been a really awesome capacity for Wirtz," erstwhile Palace striker Glenn Murray told BBC Radio 5 Live. "Very dominant.

"He was tiring by nan extremity of it and that is thing he will request to get utilized to. But he is looking for illustration a very bully signing."

This does put a mobility connected Mohamed Salah's domiciled successful nan team. The Egyptian has now not scored successful 8 Wembley appearances, had only 1 changeable connected target and successful nan shootout blazed his punishment over. But that is simply a mobility for different article.

In beforehand of Wirtz, Ekitike has nan makings of a genuine, out-and-out centre guardant Liverpool simply did not person earlier because of Darwin Nunez's shortcomings.

His extremity was good taken, and his transverse pinch nan extracurricular of his footwear successful nan first half that recovered Cody Gakpo successful an offside position was sumptuous.

But 1 should retrieve that Nunez's debut besides came successful nan Community Shield - nan 2023 triumph complete Manchester City. The Uruguayan scored, looked streets up of Erling Haaland - and ne'er deed those heights again.

And location was a touch of Nunez astir Ekitike spurning a header wrong nan six-yard container little than a infinitesimal into nan 2nd half, and different chance he blazed complete from 12 yards. Take 1 of those, and Liverpool win.

"Always bully to people a goal, but it would person been moreover nicer to triumph a game," Slot said of his caller frontman.

"Ekitike had a bully impact, but he came 2 weeks agone during nan Asia tour. But he had a bully crippled for sure."

So who will Liverpool adhd successful nan last 3 weeks of nan transportation window? One sanction is connected everyone's lips - Alexander Isak.

At times connected Sunday, it looked arsenic if nan past point Liverpool needed was different first-choice striker. But arsenic Palace celebrated successful nan sun, nan entreaty of nan wantaway Newcastle guardant became clearer.

"Liverpool want different striker," erstwhile Reds goalkeeper Chris Kirkland told BBC Sport aft nan game. "We're each greedy. Every squad wants arsenic galore strikers arsenic they can.

"Liverpool want Isak, they person bid for him, and he wants to go. Normally, erstwhile that is nan case, a woody gets done. I'd want a centre-back and a guardant because we are each greedy successful this world!"

There were besides weaknesses deeper successful midfield for Liverpool, but they are a cheaper fix.

Ryan Gravenberch was absent because his partner was giving birth, while Alexis Mac Allister was only fresh capable for a cameo disconnected nan bench.

Curtis Jones lined up alongside Dominik Szoboszlai successful holding midfield, and completed each 53 of his passes.

"Gravenberch was a monolithic miss coming - he was my subordinate of nan play past year," said Kirkland.

There tin beryllium nary mobility Liverpool will beryllium disappointed to miss retired connected a trophy, particularly against nan broadside who vanished 12th past play and person respective wounded issues, pinch Eddie Nketiah and Cheick Doucoure among those group to miss nan commencement of nan season.

But Reds fans should not return it excessively harshly. For starters, only 1 of nan past 14 winners of nan play opener person gone connected to assistance nan Premier League trophy - Manchester City successful 2018-19. In nan Premier League era, only 8 of nan 33 winners of nan Charity aliases Community Shield person gone connected to triumph nan title.

And successful much applicable terms, Slot 2.0 is still astatine nan troubleshooting shape - location are 38 merchandise launches to come.