Arne Slot has two clear options to replace Florian Wirtz and ensure Liverpool beat West Ham - opinion
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Liverpool will have to make do without Florian Wirtz for a second straight match after he missed training on Thursday.The German has arguably become Arne Slot’s most important player since the turn of the year, and his loss was badly felt against Nottingham Forest last week.Slot attempted to play Curtis Jones as the most advanced midfielder, but was forced to change things after seeing Liverpool overrun in midfield. Who should be Liverpool’s no.10 vs West Ham?
10 before the arrival of Wirtz, Alexis Mac Allister is potentially the most natural fit as the Reds’ next best attacking midfielder.Having seen the Jones experiment fail so spectacularly at the City Ground, Slot moved Mac Allister into a more advanced role, with Szoboszlai sitting deeper.Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty ImagesIt would be hard to label the move as a roaring success, with Liverpool still failing to really create anything of note and struggling against a physical Forest midfield.Nevertheless, Mac Allister did pop up with the all important winning goal – twice in fact – to justify Slot’s decision.READ MORE: I watched Liverpool’s pre-West Ham training session and noticed five key thingsMore creative and cute than Szoboszlai, giving the Argentine the freedom to play without a set role could see Liverpool get the best out of him once again.Like Forest, West Ham have a physical midfield, and taking Mac Allister out of the front line – and replacing him with Szoboszlai – would add some steel for Liverpool while also retaining a more creative spark in forward areas.Dominik Szoboszlai is Arne Slot’s tried and testedWhen Wirtz has not played at times this season, it has tended to be Szoboszlai who has replaced him.Nevertheless, while it is an easy switch for Slot to make, there are question marks over whether this is still the best option. CHANGE MY MIND: Liverpool will drop points vs West Ham if Wirtz doesn’t play 👀 He's our most important player right now, not Szoboszlai Photo by Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Getty Images As Liverpool clearly saw on Sunday, they really do miss Szoboszlai when he is not part of the midfield unit.
10 playing ahead of him.Having said that, the 25-year-old has such energy and legs that even if he is pushed further forward he will always work back and help out whoever is playing behind him as well.Szoboszlai’s attacking output is also head and shoulders above Mac Allister’s this season, so getting him closer to the goal could be a smart move.The verdict: Let Mac Allister roam freeGiven the way he has performed in any role this season, most Liverpool fans will likely lean towards Szoboszlai playing the ‘Wirtz role’ here.However, Mac Allister’s disappointing performances in a deeper role should be taken into account as well. 10, as he is an excellent footballer, but there have been times when it has looked as though Mac Allister could do with a change.Sunday’s winner(s) against Forest should give him some confidence back, and pushing him higher up the pitch may just bring some more spark to his play as well.The bottom line is that Liverpool need Szoboszlai where he is most effective, and that is right in the heart of the midfield.