Anfield's side Hunting for Better Rhythm Regardless of top-tier Lead.

Keep calm. That was the tranquil counsel provided by Liverpool's captain and the academy graduate earlier this week as Liverpool digested consecutive defeats for the second occasion under their head coach.

The manager was relaxed and upbeat in his latest address, interspersing several unprompted points that the squad he was supporting from uncommon scrutiny are at the summit of the English top division. Once more. Yet underneath the soothing words and encouraging ranking, there are unquestionable concerns with the club's displays that, according to the coach in his own words, extend further than the initial 10 games of the term.

“We were very happy securing the league,” remarked Slot. “Yet we didn't close our focus for the latter half of the term to the occasions when we required a dead-ball situation [to win].”

Last season's title winners have not struggling to create chances from general play or to transform superior ball control into comfortable wins this term, their boss maintained. The team were experiencing challenges to do both starting in the middle of the previous campaign, when other teams adjusted their strategies to contain them, and are yet to find answers.

Statistical Support

Figures support his claims. Over the opening 19 league games of his debut season, the team notched 47 goals with forty (85.1%) originating from general play. During the last nineteen matches, Liverpool managed thirty-nine goals, of which 69.2% (just over two-thirds) were from open play. The reduction was improved this season, though only a few matches have been played, with 83.3% of the team's 12 top-flight strikes originating from live action (83.3%).

• First 19 games: 85.1% of goals from open play
• Last nineteen matches: sixty-nine point two percent of goals from open play
• This term: eighty-three point three percent of goals from open play

However the team's performances so far this term, notably the losses at Selhurst Park and Galatasaray in the period of less than a week, cannot be linked solely to a decline in set-piece prowess only. Even, their seven-game winning streak before visiting their London rivals was frequently followed by the reservation that the side won late and/or despite an uneven showing.

Squad Challenges

The German playmaker is taking time to settle to the ferocity of the the top flight and is a big-money acquisition that the coach is still trying to integrate to optimal performance. Their new full-backs, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, were strongly supported by their manager prior to the Galatasaray defeat but are not yet at the performance of the the previous incumbents.

The Swedish striker is lacking fitness after spending the off-season on strike at his former club, and the French defender's displays has abandoned him. The issues extends. Solely Hugo Ekitiké, Van Dijk, the Brazilian shot-stopper, who will be absent for the weekend fixture to Stamford Bridge with a thigh issue, the playmaker and the Dutch midfielder have delivered to a high standard in the current campaign.

Crucial Unavailable player

The Reds urgently require Alexis Mac Allister to recover full fitness and his influence over their rhythm, calmness and forward impetus. The midfielder was omitted of the last two matches of the prior term to begin his rehabilitation from a persistent groin injury and be ready healthy for pre-season. At least, that was the intention. Mac Allister's return to fitness was lengthier than expected, the preparation period was frequently interrupted as a outcome, and a crucial part in the manager's system has been unable to finish a full match for his team after the single-goal success at the Foxes on the spring date.

“You say he is racing to catch up,” Slot said. “Back home we say he walks behind the music.” The team will be a different proposition once Mac Allister is directing the center of the park together with the other midfielder anew.

Looking Ahead

The head coach has highlighted the advantages of versatility in his overhauled lineup, with the summer arrivals Wirtz, the Frenchman, Isak and the defender capable of operate in a different spots, but a club in flux could do with increased regularity in team picks to hasten the transition.

I believe we change our approach but I notice rivals adopting a lot of things differently against us,” he said. “My predecessor left me a lot of benefits but a particular advantage he gave me was ending up in the top three the prior campaign and in fifth position the year before that.”

The Reds boast enough top-tier stars to fix their inconsistent performances, as Curtis Jones stated lately, but Slot admits the solution is trickier than relying on the playmaker and the striker to reach their peak. the upcoming venue might prove a good place to start, nevertheless.

It's a mix,” he remarked. “How do we get the ball to our fliers? Are we reaching them regularly and in dangerous positions {like we did|as we managed|similar