Should Slot go back to basics?

In Arne Slot's first title-winning season, he showed the surest of touches.

Tweaks to the system, such as using Ryan Gravenberch in the number six role after a deal for Martin Zubimendi collapsed, and a more rigid structure worked to perfection after succeeding Jurgen Klopp. Changes from the bench were astute and successful.

It has not looked the same this term.

Liverpool's best wins of the season, two in succession against Aston Villa and Real Madrid, came with Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister setting the platform in midfield, along with Dominik Szoboszlai.

This surely gives a signpost to the way forward. Back to title-winning basics.

The injection of Florian Wirtz into an advanced role has left Liverpool looking unbalanced and vulnerable, not helped by the German's problems adapting.

It has also left Slot's thinking looking muddled.

In among Liverpool's strife, Szoboszlai has been one of the better performers - but yet again he was pushed into an unaccustomed right-back role against Nottingham Forest.

Liverpool missed his energy in an insipid midfield display as Slot tries to plug a gap at right-back left by Trent Alexander-Arnold's departure and injuries to Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong.

Slot's £70m re-fit at full-back has not worked. Frimpong, when fit, looks more like a wing-back on the right, while on the left Milos Kerkez has struggled.

Joe Gomez, experienced and who has played at right-back, was surely an option against Forest that would have allowed Szoboszlai to move into a more influential role.

Curtis Jones, who played against Forest, was even used as a right-back by England head coach Thomas Tuchel in the win away to Andorra in June.

Slot's substitutions against Forest felt like desperate rolls of the dice, not the game-changers of last season, throwing on Ekitike for defender Ibrahima Konate early in the second half.

Again it felt like Slot was struggling for solutions.

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