Slot's Tactical Backfire - PSG Takeaways

Arne Slot’s tactical reshuffle against Paris Saint Germain was a mistake. The experiment didn’t work and it forces the question, is the manager out of ideas? If so, what does this mean for The Reds going forward. We take a look at the downfalls of Wednesday, and the approaches which the Premier League Champions as the pressure to achieve UCL qualification ramps up.

Arsenal’s win against Sporting Lisbon on the night prior to Wednesday's 2-0 defeat to PSG enabled a fifth Champions League spot for the Premier League. This gives Liverpool, as well as Aston Villa and Chelsea, a bit of positive news when it comes to locking in a place in Europe for next season. This is good for the club, but when you dig deeper the fact that we’ve had such a stark drop off that we are now relying on the results of rivals is an indicator of regression, and Slot is at the helm of that. 

Liverpool has a name in Europe, we have won the Champions league 6 times and strike fear into the hearts of our competition so even in poor form, we should at least be putting up a fight. You would think that in a season that has been marred by purple patches, disjointed play and a lack of fluidity there would be some tactical consistency from our manager at least. 

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Sadly, this is not the case as we faced the current champions using a system where the players had only two days training and preparation. This is not just a managerial misstep; it encapsulates the decision making we have seen throughout the season. 

PSG arguably have the world’s best attack, with Desire Doué’s unpredictable trickery and poise in front of goal as well as his proven ability to be prolific in big games, having 3 G/A in the final last year and 6 in the current campaign. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is also in amazing form now as he’s averaging a goal contribution every game in the champions league. 

This strong wing threat should’ve been taken into consideration by Slot when preparing the squad for the first leg, but instead the full back position became a point of weakness as we were bombarded and overwhelmed. 

Doué struck the first blow, and it wasn’t a piece of impressive skill or an amazing through pass from the midfield that allowed him to score, it was a lack of communication and ultimately confusion that gave him the space to shoot and score

Credit: Liverpool.com

The tactical reshuffle was even bewildering for PSG manager Luis Enrique, “It’s a surprise because it’s the first time Arne Slot has played with 5 at the back this year.”

The set up was defeatist and almost a sign that the club hasn’t shaken off the embarrassing defeat to Manchester City in the FA cup and were looking for damage limitation. 

How can we expect our players to be motivated and to fight with passion if they have been instructed to just ‘survive the night?’  With 0 shots on target and two goals conceded, the alterations made by Slot not only failed, but they have also possibly knocked confidence amongst the team even further.

The season has already been a disappointment overall, but the upcoming games are extremely important. The league run in will give the board an indication of what direction to move in going forward, and this may or may not include Slot. 

With Fulham at Anfield being our next fixture, optimism should be shown through our lineup and formation and should be expressed by our senior players as well as Slot in press conferences. The players and the fans need a morale boost and what better place and time to galvanise the club than at home towards the end of the season. 

Fulham are not too far from European competition and unfortunately, we dropped points to them earlier this year at Craven Cottage in heartbreaking fashion, conceding late. 

Credit: Reuters