Arne Slot

[Irishnev]

Why 3 cb?

Who plays like that?

Most teams do fine with 2.

We only have 3 senior CB, and 2 of those are injury prone the other really old. No way we are planning to go 3 at the back. You would need at least 5 senior players to attempt it, and we sold 2 when we were already under strength there

Who plays like that…… City from time to time, Leverkusen under Xabi, Amorim
Where he won two titles at Sporting, Glasner, Simone Inzaghi, Conte and a lot more tbh.

I don’t like it myself and agree that we’d need to sign 3 CBs plus keep VVD and Konate. However, I think with the right CB additions it would suit our players

[Doc_Piptorious]

Who plays like that…… City from time to time, Leverkusen under Xabi, Amorim
Where he won two titles at Sporting, Glasner, Simone Inzaghi, Conte and a lot more tbh.

I don’t like it myself and agree that we’d need to sign 3 CBs plus keep VVD and Konate. However, I think with the right CB additions it would suit our players

In bold is the interesting one from that list as he switches from a back for to a back three/five and his players in the past seemed to be drilled so well that they could flick between the systems with ease.

Do like how some of his teams become a back three when attacking and a back five when defending as he tends to have mobile quick players ready to spring out.


Think it was you that said it earlier, but the players we bought (and sold) in the summer really did suggest a move to a three CB system along with a two up front with a number ten behind or one upfront with a CF and AM behind.

It may even not have been a pure three CB and two wing back system we were thinking of.

Could well be we had in mind to go lob sided on the right in attack and have Kerkez be the one that stayed on the left side of a back three when Frimpong bombed on. One of the three CMs would cover the advanced left flank during attacks whilst being an outlet to spread play in that third.

[rudedog]

TIA did an interesting piece on this back in the summer : https://www.thisisanfield.com/2025/0...y-to-solution/

[The_weatherman]

If we finish top four/five and maybe win some silverware, then he will be going nowhere imo.

Maybe, but I honestly think he wont be here too long, I feel he'll jump ship if given a chance, seems he hasn't seen eye to eye with Hughes/Edwards on some things as well. How long is his contract btw?

[Doc_Piptorious]

Maybe, but I honestly think he wont be here too long, I feel he'll jump ship if given a chance, seems he hasn't seen eye to eye with Hughes/Edwards on some things as well. How long is his contract btw?

In the final 18 months I think? Might be wrong and too lazy to google, but think he joined on a three year contract.

[Irishnev]

In bold is the interesting one from that list as he switches from a back for to a back three/five and his players in the past seemed to be drilled so well that they could flick between the systems with ease.

Do like how some of his teams become a back three when attacking and a back five when defending as he tends to have mobile quick players ready to spring out.


Think it was you that said it earlier, but the players we bought (and sold) in the summer really did suggest a move to a three CB system along with a two up front with a number ten behind or one upfront with a CF and AM behind.

It may even not have been a pure three CB and two wing back system we were thinking of.

Could well be we had in mind to go lob sided on the right in attack and have Kerkez be the one that stayed on the left side of a back three when Frimpong bombed on. One of the three CMs would cover the advanced left flank during attacks whilst being an outlet to spread play in that third.

Signing Kerkez in a 3 CB system only makes sense if he is a wing back, I assumed we would use him as he was used at Bournemouth which was to have a left sided attacker to drift infield (Wirtz) and he could overlap. We seem to be having him underlap and sit deep in buildup which really isn't his game. If we have signed Hincapie for example then 3 CB or the LB tucking makes more sense with Frimpong providing the width on the other side.

If Wirtz is the focal point then we become left side possession focused and having Frimpong isolated on the right allows him to use his pace if we can switch over. We signed good players but I am not sure the how we will set out strategically was fully thought through. This all seems odd because Wirtz said the tactical blueprint outlined by Slot was a decisive factor in him coming here.

Arne: Florian will you join us
Wirtz: Where will I play
Arne: As the 10
Wirtz: Great

[Angryred]

I'm sure Wirtz can see the big picture now as it's not all about him, big fish in little pond now in with other big fish in a bigger pond all determined to work out how to squat the pesky little ones & impose themselves in other big ponds if ya wanna use this analogy!

[frank the tank]

Above absolutely everything else, I don't want Steven Gerrard anywhere next or near the club. One of our greatest players but that's where it stops.

Yeah of course

[frank the tank]

The back 3 conversation is interesting and as mentioned above it would make sense based on the signings last summer. I think that this formation could possibly prolong the playing career of Virgil and, last summer I would have also said the same of Mo Salah - with him playing more of a right sided center forward role as opposed to right wing. The fact that we signed 2 very attacking full backs also supported this. I have thought that maybe 442 diamond is the next phase for the same reason. But a 3 at the back strategy might also help explain why we weren't really linked with a specialist defensive midfielder?

However, what we have seen on the pitch doesn't support that imo. Slot has maintained 4 man defense pretty much all the time. He has never once tried Andy Robbo in a central defense role - even for 10 minutes- even though he has done that for Scotland.


Is alonso really tied to a 3 man defensive system?? Liverpool aren't going to throw out the baby with the bathwater but I would have thought that alonso was flexible.

[Sus]

The back 3 conversation is interesting and as mentioned above it would make sense based on the signings last summer. I think that this formation could possibly prolong the playing career of Virgil and, last summer I would have also said the same of Mo Salah - with him playing more of a right sided center forward role as opposed to right wing. The fact that we signed 2 very attacking full backs also supported this. I have thought that maybe 442 diamond is the next phase for the same reason. But a 3 at the back strategy might also help explain why we weren't really linked with a specialist defensive midfielder?

However, what we have seen on the pitch doesn't support that imo. Slot has maintained 4 man defense pretty much all the time. He has never once tried Andy Robbo in a central defense role - even for 10 minutes- even though he has done that for Scotland.


Is alonso really tied to a 3 man defensive system?? Liverpool aren't going to throw out the baby with the bathwater but I would have thought that alonso was flexible.

I agree with you Frank - I don't think we are moving away from a 4 man defence, though someone's (I think Doc) point about having a 3 man defence in build up is a good one.

Our club is build around 4-3-3 / 4-2-3-1 so there is no way in my mind we are going to 3 at the back as the starting structure.

Alonson used 3 at the back at Leverkusen, but also 4 pretty regularly - he's known (at least by journalists) to be pretty flexible when it comes to formations, given the amount of experimenting he did at Real Madrid.

[Deano]

Maybe, but I honestly think he wont be here too long, I feel he'll jump ship if given a chance, seems he hasn't seen eye to eye with Hughes/Edwards on some things as well. How long is his contract btw?

I didnt know he didn't see eye to with his bosses ?

[frank the tank]

I didn't think he had an issue with Hughes.

As far as I know, he signed a 3 year contract when he arrived so he has a year left this summer.

From the clubs perspective, they have a decision to make in the summer. I don't think that they will let Arne go into next season with the manager having just once year on his deal. Also, surely any signings will want to know what is happening before they commit to signing for Liverpool. As things stand, konate and Robbo will leave. Others are certain to also go. Salah likely as things stand. And virgil will go into his last season. So from the clubs perspective then surely they need to either commit to Arne or else make a change.

We will be signing new players in the summer- I reckon 4 to 6 new signings again - so lfc will need to decide if they are going to do that with Slot or a new manager.

If Alonso was going to be the guy, then I would expect that it will happen as soon as the season is finished.

The fact that Alonso has a brilliant relationship with Wirtz, and it is likely that Flo will be looking to be the main man, will surely mean they will consider Alonso. Also, the Anfield Wrap guy made a good point - if Guardiola leaves City in the summer then surely Alonso will be an option for them.

[Exiled_red]

We stopped discussions on a new contract with him, which means that his future is somewhat up in the air, I don't think anything has been decided yet and it will ultimately depend on what happens in the remainder of the season. If we don't make the CL I think he goes at the end of the season if not before - if we have another really bad period and CL qualification looks to be getting away from us I think he could go then. We are still in the CL and the FA Cup, not sure the FA Cup has much bearing on the outcome to be honest. Winning the CL would likely be a different matter although I think the chances of that happening are very small. I think realistically we need to get good results and showing a good way of playing decent football in a working system that looks like it will get even better when players get back and we can go into next season as serious contenders for major trophies. I think at that point the they decide to keep him they probably back him with a new contract.

In terms of the summer, I think next summer is a bigger summer than this summer just gone. Last year the VVD and Salah contracts kicked the can down the road, I think now we really have to do something about those, we need to bring in a Salah replacement (even if we decide we want him to stay around and see out his contract). Konate's contract is up, we are already a CB light, so likely need to bring in 2 CBs before even evaluating where Gomez and VVD are at. We also need to bring in another CM, the 4 that he trusts at the moment isn't enough. Robertson is out of contract too, and you can't imagine Chiesa and Endo will be around at the start of next season. If the players mentioned leave we are down to a senior squad of 19 which include Rio and Nyoni and 3 GKs before anyone comes in, 4 first team capable players in is a minimum probably more. Question is where does the money come from? Even if we could get Guehi on a free you are probably looking at best part of £200m for the other 3 players we need

[memzey]

We stopped discussions on a new contract with him, which means that his future is somewhat up in the air, I don't think anything has been decided yet and it will ultimately depend on what happens in the remainder of the season. If we don't make the CL I think he goes at the end of the season if not before - if we have another really bad period and CL qualification looks to be getting away from us I think he could go then. We are still in the CL and the FA Cup, not sure the FA Cup has much bearing on the outcome to be honest. Winning the CL would likely be a different matter although I think the chances of that happening are very small. I think realistically we need to get good results and showing a good way of playing decent football in a working system that looks like it will get even better when players get back and we can go into next season as serious contenders for major trophies. I think at that point the they decide to keep him they probably back him with a new contract.

In terms of the summer, I think next summer is a bigger summer than this summer just gone. Last year the VVD and Salah contracts kicked the can down the road, I think now we really have to do something about those, we need to bring in a Salah replacement (even if we decide we want him to stay around and see out his contract). Konate's contract is up, we are already a CB light, so likely need to bring in 2 CBs before even evaluating where Gomez and VVD are at. We also need to bring in another CM, the 4 that he trusts at the moment isn't enough. Robertson is out of contract too, and you can't imagine Chiesa and Endo will be around at the start of next season. If the players mentioned leave we are down to a senior squad of 19 which include Rio and Nyoni and 3 GKs before anyone comes in, 4 first team capable players in is a minimum probably more. Question is where does the money come from? Even if we could get Guehi on a free you are probably looking at best part of £200m for the other 3 players we need

Yeah, basically agree with all of this. The other thing I'd throw in to the mix, as regards the squad at least, is the need for more home grown players. I suspect that will play a major part in who we bring in this summer.

[BobTheCharmer]

I wonder why he doesn't give endo any minutes. He's an international captain with bags of experience and full of determination. It's bizarre. I'm not advocating starting him, but surely some cameos would be useful. Klopp could get a tune out of him. I don't see any players who have performed better under slot apart from Dom. I think that's probably down to having got used to the league and experience.