🔗 Share this article Defence Woes Present Bigger Headache for Slot Than Making Alexander Isak and Salah to Fire It is now appropriate to start judging Alexander Isak justly as a £125 million Liverpool striker, the Liverpool head coach remarked on Friday. Therefore, evaluation needs to be severe, but as Britain’s highest-priced player sat next to Mohamed Salah on the Liverpool substitutes while the English top-flight title holders struggled to force an leveler against Manchester United without them, it was not Slot’s misfiring attack that deserved the strongest blame at the stadium. His defensive foundation has vanished. Quiet Display from Key Forwards Yes, the Swedish striker was largely unnoticeable in the No 9 position and Salah subpar once more as his personal struggles continued against the club he usually plunders. The Swedish international had his first shot on target in the top division as a Reds member in the 35th minute, excellently denied by the opposition's new shot-stopper the young keeper. Salah wasted a excellent after the break opportunity facing the home end and could not complain when their numbers came up. The Dutch attacker also struck the woodwork on multiple occasions and somehow was unable to net a second moments after Harry Maguire’s decisive goal. Unthinkable Defeat In Spite of Opportunities It seemed unthinkable for Liverpool to be defeated in a game in which they generated plenty of opportunities, Slot stated. But it is possible with a defence in this form, as Crystal Palace, Chelsea and now United have proven. Backline Collapse During Pressure While overseeing a fourth successive defeat as the club's manager, the first person to achieve this since Brendan Rodgers in years past, the coach must have despaired at a defence display that allowed the visitors to dominate as well as their initial win at Anfield in nearly a decade. Filled with the repeated issues that the team's coaching staff had focused on fixing after the international break, including yet another dead-ball score, it was a display that totally derailed the champions’ second half comeback and cost them the match. Advantage Squandered Even with Improvement Momentum was finally with the home side when the substitute cancelled out Bryan Mbeumo’s quick breakthrough. The Merseyside club could feel another last-minute win with replacements Hugo Ekitiké, a midfielder and another forward igniting improvement and the opposition in defensive mode. Instead, it was another last-gasp top-flight loss, the third in succession, after the team's set-piece weaknesses re-emerged and the defender found himself one of three opposition players free behind Ibrahima Konaté in the 84th minute. Organized Opposition Outperform A powerful goal into the goal that the player missed in the dying seconds of the previous campaign's tie gave Ruben Amorim the best victory of his challenging club reign. Despite the negativity surrounding Amorim it was his team that performed with clear purpose and a well-executed plan for the majority of a compelling contest. The initial back-to-back league victories of Amorim’s time in charge were the result. Slot’s team once more appeared like unfamiliar at points, particularly when conceding a dead-ball score for the fifth occasion in the Premier League this season. Quick Opener Exposes Defensive Issues The home side were lacking from the inception to the finish of Mbeumo’s 62-second first goal. There was no purchase on the first header from the captain, a probable result of having to go through opponents to reach the ball, to be fair, and no pressure on Bruno Fernandes when he took possession and passed to Amad Diallo in open area on the right flank. Milos Kerkez was late to react, Van Dijk delayed to recover and mark Mbeumo’s run while Giorgi Mamardashvili, filling in for the unavailable Alisson in goal, was comfortably beaten from the angle. Officiating and Focus Questions The manager could justifiably question his decisions and wonder where the foul was from Michael Oliver, an official with whom he has a contentious past, but also question the focus and coordination among his defenders. Mbeumo’s strike indicates the side have kept only two clean sheets in a dozen games so far, the last occurring eight games previously at Burnley. Repeated Exploitation of Defensive Side The visitors carved open the left flank frequently in a first half in which Fernandes, Mason Mount and even the attacker all nearly scored to doubling the away team's lead. Sending the winger early versus the full-back was obviously part of the manager's strategy. It worked repeatedly in the opening half. The £40 million new arrival from Bournemouth experienced a further difficult evening in a club jersey. Throw-ins were even a issue for the previous player's chosen successor, who almost put the forward in on goal while making an interception. The defender and Van Dijk appear on different wavelengths at present. Manager’s Analysis and Admission “Our approach involves a lot of gambles,” Slot commented following United’s victory. “Following the second half we had six or seven attacking players on the pitch. This is perhaps why our organization for the set-piece was less organized as we usually are. Normally we would have more defensive personnel on the pitch. Perhaps it is a fluke but it is no justification. We know we have to do better.”