Manchester United change gives Liverpool food for thought as latest defeat increases fears
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But this turbulent season is leaving many more fearful than excited for what the future holds at Anfield.A 3-2 defeat to historic rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford would ordinarily be no cause for a major inquest, but an 11th loss of the campaign followed the familiar pattern for a side whose Champions League hopes still hang in the balance as a result.Slot will likely bemoan some misfortune after conceding the first shot on target but United's more aggressive start deserved its luck when Matheus Cunha's strike deflected off a struggling Alexis Mac Allister past Freddie Woodman.The Reds began the game with all the enthusiasm and intensity of a pre-season friendly and were punished further when Benjamin Sesko bundled it in after third-choice goalkeeper Woodman had attempted to parry out Bruno Fernandes's header across goal.FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE! All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook pageOnce more Slot looked to his unlucky stars that Slovenia striker Sesko wasn't penalised for a handball, saying: "I don't think it's a surprise to anyone this season that if there's a VAR intervention or if there's something that could be left or could be right (50-50) then the decision goes against us."The officialdom of the Premier League owes Liverpool no living though, and the general paucity of the performance saw a United side that has topped the table since Michael Carrick replaced Ruben Amorim in January take full advantageThe improvement overseen by former Middlesbrough boss Carrick might even give those in charge at Anfield some food for thought on how a change of voice in the technical area can inspire a group of players who are out of sorts.Having had a full week to work on their shape and sketch out a blueprint for victory, Slot's players instead looked like deer in headlights as United snapped into challenges and won almost every individual battle.In possession, the Reds lacked a threat and while that was understandable given Alexander Isak, Mohamed Salah and Hugo Ekitike were all out injured, Cody Gakpo, Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong spent the opening period looking overawed by both the scale of the task and the size of the occasion.
That, at a club like Liverpool, is a grave offence.Frimpong improved after the break and Gakpo got his goal but Wirtz's ineffective period continues. Too often this season the Dutchman has watched his team start slowly before seeing them jolted into action by events on the pitch.Their consistent habit of trying to grow into proceedings isn't working but Slot has not addressed it properly.
Having made it 2-2 by the 56th minute, the visitors allowed the match to drift, rarely testing Lammens any further save for one unorthodox clearance with his feet from Virgil van Dijk's knockdown.And they were made to pay when Kobbie Mainoo slotted home beautifully after Mac Allister once more failed to clear his lines effectively.United's early exits in the domestic cups mean this season is their fewest amount of games - just 40 in total - since 1915, which undoubtedly left them the fresher of the two squads for this, particularly given the injury issues at Anfield.For context, United have now played 37 matches in total this term. Slot does have some mitigation in that regard.But 11 defeats now - the worst sequence since 2015, under Brendan Rodgers - means fewer and fewer will listen to those explanations with a sympathetic ear.There is still a job to do for Slot and his team as they aim to at least secure Champions League football next season.