Arne Slot’s big mistake at Liverpool this season? Failing to drop struggling Salah | Barney Ronay

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We need, above all, to feel that this is all someone’s fault.This is how elite football must function now. There is simply less space to actually make terrible mistakes on an individual basis, the kind of clear-as-day mistake that really does throw an entire team out of whack.Quick GuideNagelsmann blames Wirtz's slow start on Liverpool's formShowJulian Nagelsmann, the Germany head coach, has defended Florian Wirtz after criticism of his slow start to life at Liverpool, pinning some of the blame on the team's poor form and finishing.Wirtz, a £100m summer signing from Bayer Leverkusen, is yet to register a goal or assist in the Premier League – though he has created 16 chances – while Arne Slot's side have struggled to sustain their title defence.

You see that with other players who move to the Premier League too.""We all know what he's capable of and it's perfectly normal for a player of his age to go through a bit of a dip in form," Nagelsmann added. "We can't expect him to perform at the same level for three years straight.""Instead, we all need to support him a little bit so that he can clear his head here, and then maybe Liverpool could also help him out by scoring some of the chances he creates.

And it has been obvious for the last two months that Liverpool are suffering with Salah in the team, most notably against stronger opponents.Mohamed Salah had one chance against Manchester City which he sent wide of the post. What was everyone expecting to happen here?Perhaps we should blame Liverpool’s executive for offering Salah that new contract at a time when it was clear the team would have to be fundamentally rebuilt.