As the defending Premier League champion, Liverpool failed in the Community Shield, and Slot's team exposed some problems on the defensive end. In Sky Sports' column, English football legend Paul Merson expressed his views.
With the arrival of the new season, Slot faces many challenges. Last season was perfect for him, but now he seems to have more problems to solve. Last season, I thought Liverpool's roster was almost natural. However, the competition for positions this season is very intense and it will be tricky to satisfy all players. If Isaac is added, the problem will be more complicated.
I am worried about Liverpool's performance this season, especially on the backline. I watched the game at the Community Shield last Sunday and saw them easily torn through the defense by Crystal Palace, which was worrying. However, I'm not worried about their offense. On the offensive end, they will have excellent performances and often be able to destroy their opponents. But on the defensive end, especially when opponents strike back, they may be caught with loopholes and other teams will surely make plans to deal with them.
There are many rumors about Liverpool signing Isaac. Some people think that if the Newcastle striker is signed, Liverpool will easily win the championship. I have heard a lot of people say that if Liverpool gets Isaac, the Premier League title will be stable, but I don't think they can guarantee the championship by signing Isaac.
If I were Liverpool, I would be more inclined to find a central defender than Isaac, which is Slot's top priority, with his main central defender choices being Van Dijk, Connater and Joe Gomez. In contrast, there are enough options on the front line that Isaac does not need. Ekitic performed well against Crystal Palace, and Wiltz is also a top player, plus Garkepo and Salah, the choice on the front line is more than enough.
Why is Liverpool eager to pursue Isaac when it is obviously necessary to have another defender? Signing Isaac will only bring more problems, as all forwards cannot play at the same time. Slott had to constantly adjust the lineup to keep everyone happy, which would lead to more problems.
It is very important for Liverpool to bring in a defender before the transfer window is closed. Additionally, Connate is about to enter his final year of his contract at Anfield, and the club doesn't want to experience any more like Arnold. As for Van Dijk, he is a top defender and anyone who works with him will look great, but the consequences will be unimaginable if he gets injured. He is the core of the team's defense, and it would be a big problem without him.
Finally, at Wembley Stadium, Salah's performance was worrying, and I've never seen him perform so badly in the game. But that's Salah, who might do nothing for weeks and then score 10 consecutive goals or score hat tricks. The difficulty he may face this season is playing football in front of Flynn Pon. Compared to Arnold, Flynnon is more of an offensive winger. Not only can Arnold create opportunities by himself, but he can also attract defensive players and give Salah more space, while Flynnon is different, he is too far ahead and not a natural defender, which may expose Conat to greater risks. There are major problems with the defense line on this side, which is even more serious than last season.