Walcott says Liverpool's players are doing one bad thing because of Slot, and he might be right - opinion
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Liverpool cannot seem to get any sort of run of form together at the moment. The Reds need a good performance and they need it quickly, with results as of late just not going their way.They find themselves seven points adrift league leaders Arsenal already, with many even believing their title defence is over as early as October.
Join our newsletter for news & smart analysis. Arne Slot is the man who has the power to change things, though, but how long he will be given, and whether it will work, is anyone’s guess.Former Arsenal player Theo Walcott believes there is a clear issue that the Dutchman is projecting onto his players, however, and he might be right.Photo by Michael Regan/Getty ImagesLiverpool’s players are overthinking and playing as individualsLiverpool spent an awful lot of money over the summer, close to £450m, with this leaving many to think that they had the title wrapped up because of this.Having good players is one thing, though, and having a solid team is another, with having individuals being no good if they cannot play as a collective.A big issue is that Slot does not know his best XI either, meaning that players are trying all they can to impress and show why they should be picked week in, week out, rather than trying their best to help the team out.This is simply not sustainable and the Reds need to go back to being a tight-knit group again on the pitch, with Walcott believing that this issue has all stemmed from Slot himself.“I feel they are overthinking at the moment and that comes from the manager,” he told The Overlap US.“When we saw the players they had signed, we all thought, and I was one of them, that they were going to win the league as they’ve signed all these players and it was like a fantasy league.READ MORE: Liverpool’s predicted XI vs Crystal Palace as Arne Slot risks more defensive issues while ‘explosive’ ace starts“But there are players who aren’t themselves as they are overthinking.
They are not playing as a team, they are playing as individuals. There are too many egos and they need to try and separate that and go back to basics.”Arne Slot needs to find a settled teamOne of the reasons why Liverpool were so successful last season was because they had a settled XI who all knew their roles.Now, it feels a little different, as not every player has been given a clear position, with Florian Wirtz for example playing in multiple positions already.The number 10 role is his favourite but he is yet to prove his worth there, while the 22-year-old has also played on both flanks, with the right side being where he was best.This uncertainty, however, is not doing players any good, with Slot needing to find a settled role for all of them and sticking with it through this tough time.