🔗 Share this article Defensive Issues Pose Greater Headache for Liverpool's Manager Compared to Getting Alexander Isak and Salah to Fire The time has come to start judging Alexander Isak equitably as a £125 million Liverpool striker, Arne Slot remarked on the weekend. Therefore, evaluation needs to be severe, but as Britain’s highest-priced footballer was seated alongside Mohamed Salah on the Reds substitutes while the English top-flight champions struggled to force an equaliser versus their rivals in their absence, it was not Slot’s misfiring attack that warranted the fiercest criticism at the stadium. His defence has disappeared. Anonymous Display from Key Attackers Yes, the Swedish striker was predominantly quiet in the centre-forward position and the Egyptian winger again poor as his personal struggles continued against the team he typically plunders. The Sweden international had his initial shot on target in the Premier League as a Liverpool player in the first half, smartly stopped by the opposition's latest goalkeeper the young keeper. The forward missed a golden after the break chance facing the home end and neither protest when their numbers were shown. The Dutch attacker also struck the crossbar three times and inexplicably was unable to net a second moments after Harry Maguire’s decisive goal. Impossible Loss In Spite of Chances It ought to have been impossible for Liverpool to be defeated in a match in which they created numerous opportunities, Slot remarked. But it is possible with a backline in current state, as Crystal Palace, another rival and currently Manchester United have demonstrated. Backline Collapse During Pressure While overseeing a fourth straight defeat as the club's head coach, the first person to do so since a previous manager in November 2014, the coach must have been frustrated at a defensive performance that invited United to dominate as well as their initial win at Anfield in nearly a decade. Filled with the identical errors that Liverpool’s coaching staff had focused on solving after the pause, including another set-piece score, it was a display that totally derailed the champions’ second half comeback and lost them the match. Momentum Squandered Even with Improvement The upper hand was at last with the hosts when the substitute equalized the forward's early opener. The Merseyside club could sense another late win with replacements one attacker, a midfielder and Federico Chiesa sparking improvement and the opposition in retreat. Rather, it was a further last-gasp Premier League loss, the third straight, after the team's set-piece frailties resurfaced and Maguire found himself one of three opposition members unmarked behind the centre-back in the 84th minute. Purposeful Rivals Excel A powerful header into the net that the player missed in the final moments of last season’s 2-2 draw gave the United manager the finest victory of his challenging United reign. Despite the criticism around Amorim it was his squad that performed with clear purpose and a well-executed plan for the bulk of a thrilling contest. The initial back-to-back league wins of the manager's reign were the outcome. Slot’s team once more appeared like strangers at points, especially when conceding a dead-ball goal for the fifth time in the Premier League the current campaign. Early Goal Reveals Defensive Flaws The home side were exposed from the inception to the execution of Mbeumo’s 62-second opener. There was no purchase on the initial header from Virgil van Dijk, a probable result of having to pass two players to connect with the pass, to be fair, and no pressure on the playmaker when he received the ball and passed to the winger in open area on the right. Milos Kerkez was slow to respond, Van Dijk slow to track back and mark the forward's run while the goalkeeper, filling in for the injured Alisson in goal, was easily beaten from the angle. Officiating and Focus Issues Slot could justifiably question his head and ask why the foul was from the referee, an referee with whom he has a feisty history, but also doubt the concentration and communication levels his backline. The forward's strike indicates the side have managed only a couple of clean sheets in 12 matches this season, the last occurring many matches ago at another ground. Constant Exploitation of Left Flank United carved open the left side frequently in a first half in which the midfielder, Mason Mount and even the attacker all came close to doubling the away team's advantage. Releasing Diallo quickly versus the full-back was obviously in the manager's gameplan. It succeeded repeatedly in the opening 45 minutes. The £40 million new arrival from Bournemouth endured another tough match in a Liverpool shirt. Throw-ins were also a issue for Andy Robertson’s chosen successor, who nearly sent Mbeumo through while making an challenge. The defender and Van Dijk seem on different wavelengths at the moment. Coach's Explanation and Admission “Our approach involves a lot of gambles,” Slot commented following United’s victory. “After the 62nd minute we had multiple attacking players on the pitch. That’s maybe why our organization for the dead-ball was not as perfect as we typically are. Usually we would have additional defending players on the field. Perhaps it is a coincidence but it is not an excuse. We know we have to improve.”