Liverpool

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Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann has defended Florian Wirtz's slow start to life with Liverpool, arguing he just needs to "get used" to the Premier League.

Wirtz, 22, is yet to register a goal or assist in England's top flight since his £116m move from Bayer Leverkusen in June.

"Even though he hasn't scored any goals, he is still the player who creates the most chances in the Premier League," Nagelsmann told Sport 1.

"It's not his fault if his team-mates don't convert them, and the statistics don't even tell the whole story.

"Wirtz needs to get used to the league. I saw him playing with total freedom. He knows what he's capable of and how things work.

"He hasn't always had it easy - he'll have to work hard now too."

According to Opta, no player has created more chances than Wirtz (21) in the Premier League so far this season.

And former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp also believes the negativity surrounding Wirtz has been overblown.

"His quality is so outstanding," Klopp told German outlet n-tv. "The discussions are a bit exaggerated.

"Liverpool just lost three games in a row, which is unusual. But that's also normal in life. And that's why such things are discussed there.

"[Wirtz is] a once-in-a-century talent, and at some point he'll show that in every game again - just as he did at Leverkusen."

Liverpool, Aston Villa and Tottenham are among the Premier League sides to have sent scouts to watch 17-year-old Nantes centre-back Tylel Tati. (CaughtOffside, external)

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Liverpool are among the Premier League clubs interested in 21-year-old Crystal Palace and England midfielder Adam Wharton. (Mail, external)

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Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

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Our senior football correspondent Sami Mokbel has been answering your questions on Liverpool. In the final part, he discusses Arne Slot's tactics this season after the success of his first campaign.

Joe asked: Was last season a fluke? Liverpool have played terribly and made some questionable buys. I don't see Slot as master of tactics! Could Slot be another Rafa Benitez with first-season luck?

Sami: Last season was not a fluke. They won the Premier League at a canter and Slot's side were the picture of consistency.

A run of three defeats on the spin has certainly raised questions, though even throughout their 100% start to the campaign, there were signs of deficiency. But there was always going to be a period of transition this term.

They made six signings over the summer and lost key players in Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luis Diaz. You do not just hit top gear after such tinkering.

But they will adapt and re-emerge as a force because the players are too good for their poor form to continue.

Check back over the Liverpool page from Thursday to read more from Sami's Q&A

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Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

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Our senior football correspondent Sami Mokbel has been answering your questions on Liverpool. In this part, he focuses on the form of Mohamed Salah and whether the Reds are missing Diaz and Alexander-Arnold.

Sam asked: Why aren't we playing Federico Chiesa instead of Mohamed Salah? Salah has been poor at the start of the season while Chiesa has made an impact in the couple of games he's played.

Sami: The simple answer to that is this Mohamed Salah – a player able to win you a football match in the blink of an eye.

Chiesa has certainly had an impact, but dropping Salah is not the answer in my opinion. Furthermore, Salah has scored three goals so far this season - only Hugo Ekitike (five) has scored more.

Of course, we judge Salah to a higher standard given his persistent brilliance over the years. But we would be silly to write the Egyptian off yet.

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Lucas asked: Do you think that with the benefit of hindsight, Liverpool fans did not give Luis Diaz and Trent Alexander-Arnold enough respect? Without them, the defence is weaker and the attack more predictable and less tenacious. Were they key parts of what made the team successful?

Sami: It is clear that both players were crucial to Arne Slot's plans last season.

Alexander-Arnold's eye for a pass and ability to unlock defences from wide areas is something Liverpool are lacking as it stands.

The issues the team are having at right-back provide another clear indicator of just how sorely Alexander-Arnold is missed. Likewise, Diaz's ability to run with the ball, his street-fighting style, tenacity and eye for goal were traits Liverpool certainly benefited from last season.

With that in mind, you would imagine most fans would appreciate and respect the pair's contribution – particularly Alexander-Arnold, who had spent his entire career at Anfield prior to joining Real Madrid.

They were clearly crucial to Liverpool's success last term. Fans who do not respect them are watching a different game to me.

Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

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Our senior football correspondent Sami Mokbel has been answering your questions on Liverpool. In this first part, he looks at the Reds' right-back conundrum and winter transfer window possibilities.

Andy: Why buy Jeremie Frimpong and yet play Dominik Szoboszlai in his place at right-back? Does Slot not trust Frimpong?

Sami: Give Frimpong a chance, Andy. He's still acclimatising to English football having arrived from Germany in the summer. Some take to it instantly, others need time to settle. Frimpong falls into the latter.

Frimpong was available on a 35m euros (£29.5m) release clause from Bayer Leverkusen, and with Trent Alexander-Arnold leaving for Real Madrid there was a clear necessity for a new right-back, despite the emergence of Conor Bradley. The Frimpong deal certainly made financial sense.

The jury is out on whether it makes sporting sense – but we should not make a final reading on that yet. He needs time.

Colin: Will Liverpool look to get another central defender in the winter transfer window and, if so, who?

Sami: They will be open to doing business, for sure. It is clear that they were probably short of one centre-back - they definitely are now following the season-ending ACL injury suffered by Giovanni Leoni.

Going into the rest of the season with just three centre-backs in Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez is a risk, so if there is an opportunity to sign one in the winter window then they will consider it.

Of course, we know of their interest in Marc Guehi having come so close to signing him in the summer. Would they look to do that deal in January? Given Guehi is available for nothing at the end of the season, it makes little business sense to pay a fee for him in January.

Come back to this page later on Thursday to find more from Sami's Q&A

Manchester United have moved ahead of Liverpool in the race to sign 25-year-old Bournemouth and Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo. (Caught Offside), external

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It has been 10 years since Jurgen Klopp joined Liverpool.

While there was hope, little did fans know the sheer amount of success the German would bring in his nine-years spell in charge.

Despite some heartbreaking final defeats and near-misses in the league along the way, Klopp left with a pretty hefty trophy haul and the adoration of fans.

With one Premier League title, one Champions League crown, an FA Cup, two EFL Cups, the Community Shield, a Uefa Super Cup and a Fifa Club World Cup, the 58-year-old is one of the most successful to have sat in the Anfield dugout.

But where does he rank among the Liverpool managerial greats?

Make your choice here

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You can also relive Liverpool's 2019 Champions League story on BBC iPlayer

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We asked for your views on Liverpool's defence this season and how concerning the right-back position has become after the departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Here are some of your comments:

Mick: At the start of last season, Arne Slot had Mohamed Salah tracking back, and the defence was very solid in the first few games. Salah didn't like it and suggested to Slot that if he didn't need to track back, he would supply the goals and assists. Slot agreed, and the rest is history. The difference this season is that Salah is not getting the goals.

Tim: I'm not sure why we signed Jeremie Frimpong at the moment unless it is to replace Salah at some point. Gotta stick with Conor Bradley or replace him in January. We are so out of sorts.

Andrew: Dominic Szoboszlai has done a remarkable job covering the right-back position, but we need to put players back in their natural positions. The squad was built to have two players for each position, and while there have been injuries, we learned in 2020-21 that you cannot continue with square pegs in round holes. The squad needs continuity while its new players still find their feet. That's not helped by asking players to switch from midfield to right back during the same game.

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However, a lot of you believe that Bradley should be first choice for the right-back position.

Ken: From a tactical perspective, Bradley is the best option. However, he has been unable to stay fit for sustained periods. When he is fit, he has a penchant for picking up unnecessary yellow cards, putting the team and himself at jeopardy.

Richard: I believe that Slot should have Bradley and Joe Gomez as his right-back choices. Joe is a great defender and has played right back a number of times. But for some reason, Slot does not fancy him.

Rob: Bradley is the best right-back at the club, but his tendency to pick up bookings and injuries means we're short of options. Conor needs to be given some advice from Slot and a run of games. If he can stay fit, he is the answer.

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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Three defeats in three have not quite got the alarm bells ringing at Anfield, though Liverpool clearly have a few problems.

Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Mohamed Salah have not yet gelled as a unit. They look more like a group of ultra-talented individuals than a well-drilled team, and this must change if they are going to defend their title.

It is early days for the new signings - but the Premier League does not wait for you to be formally introduced, then get to know each other over a number of months.

‌During the live commentary on the BBC, I kept underlining the problem at right-back.

Jeremie Frimpong is a converted winger, not a specialist defender. Conor Bradley is a very talented attacking full-back, but Arne Slot had to sub him at the break because a second yellow card was imminent for the youngster. He needed some help but his winger, Salah, was not going to provide any by chasing back.

‌Dominik Szoboszlai is a wonderful midfielder - maybe Liverpool's best player this season so far - but his limitations as a full-back were cruelly exposed, both when I was there in Istanbul for the Galatasaray game midweek and in west London.

When he moved in there on Saturday, Chelsea got to his byline time and again. He was also guilty of switching off when crosses were coming in from the other wing. Specialist full-backs simply do not do that.

‌Szoboszlai created Liverpool's goal from that full-back area, underlining where his true strengths lie: attack. With so many brilliant specialist wingers in the league, a makeshift full-back is not going to cut it.

‌Unsurprisingly, the hosts' late winner came from an attack down that side.

Liverpool could not beat a Chelsea side that had their sixth and seventh-choice centre-backs playing by the end, underlining that an easy cruise to another title is very unlikely for the Reds.

What do you think?

Is Liverpool's right-back position a problem?

What would you do if you were Slot?

Send us your views here

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Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard has given a glimpse into his mentality when he was first introduced to the senior squad at Anfield.

Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast,, external the former midfielder opened up on the mentality that drove him to break into Liverpool's first team as a teenager, revealing how he quietly set his sights on displacing some of his idols.

"The likes of [Robbie] Fowler, [Steve] McManaman and [Jamie] Redknapp were my heroes. I couldn't have had any more respect going into the Liverpool dressing room in terms of them as people and players," said Gerrard, who made his first-team debut in November 1998.

"But I had something in my own mind and in my quieter times when I used to look at them and think: 'I'm coming for all of you.' I was at this moment when it's now or never for me.

"If I want to play for Liverpool for a long period of time and have the career I wanted to have, whoever is there, every single day of training, I'm thinking no-one is getting in the way of me. I have to prove I am better than Paul Ince, Jamie Redknapp, Danny Murphy and David Thompson.

"They would have felt me competing against them in training. But I never said it to them. I don't think you have to do that - I think you have to prove it."

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Chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions on all things Premier League.

Sean asked: I'm really concerned about Liverpool's recent run of form. Is Salah undroppable?

Phil answered: I've seen every Liverpool game this season bar the Carabao Cup tie against Southampton and, for all the wins at the start, they have not looked right from day one.

I think bringing in so many players means it always takes time to settle, no matter how good they are, but the balance just does not look right with Florian Wirtz behind the strikers.

Liverpool have looked far more exposed, not helped by Ibrahima Konate's poor form and two new very attack-minded full-backs in Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez.

Is Mohamed Salah "undroppable"? Very few players are undroppable at some point in their careers and there is no doubt he has not been himself this season. And don't forget he is 33.

World-class players very rarely decline overnight, though, and I wouldn't back against him making a big contribution to Liverpool again this season?

Will Arne Slot occasionally take him out of the team? Yes, I can see that, as he did against Galatasaray in Istanbul last week.

Alan asked: Is Florian Wirtz the biggest £100m transfer flop? Ten games, zero goals and only one assist. His Premier League stats are seven games, zero goals and zero assists.

Phil answered: It's far too early to be going there with that one, Alan. Wirtz has been disappointing so far, no doubt about that, but he has been playing in a side undergoing a very expensive transition which has not been at its best at all, despite topping the Premier League table in the early weeks.

He is getting used to the Liverpool players and they are getting used to him.

It's always a mistake to make such snap verdicts and I think Wirtz - £116m fee or not - deserves a lot more time before anyone makes any judgement, certainly the judgement that he is a flop.

It's very early days.

Wrexham centre-back Conor Coady has a little sympathy for Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate as the central defender continues to face criticism.

Coady thinks changes around the defender will be posing him a problem.

See what he has to say above and watch Chris Sutton's response below.

Sutton believes the Reds may regret not signing Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace.

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Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton says Liverpool boss Arne Slot is not sure of his best side at the moment and the issue is partly because of the "mishmash" at right-back.

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Crystal Palace plan to offer Adam Wharton a new contract to try to ward off interest from Liverpool, Chelsea and Manchester City in the 21-year-old England midfielder. (Mail), external

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Former Manchester United and Everton forward Wayne Rooney says Liverpool's early-season performances showed "worrying signs" even before their recent dip in form, questioning the team's balance under Arne Slot and the lack of defensive contribution from Mohamed Salah.

The former England captain believes the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold has exposed tactical issues, while new signings are still adjusting to the demands of playing for a title-challenging side.

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Jordan Chamberlain
Fan writer

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Liverpool's problem this season is that they are relying on moments.

In the first five games, the moments went for the Reds, with multiple late winners leaving Liverpool top of the table.

But now, having conceded and lost in injury time in two consecutive Premier League weekends, they are on the receiving end.

Liverpool played no worse against Chelsea than they did in matches they won against Newcastle and Burnley. They just didn't get the rub of the green this time. Moises Caicedo scored from 25 yards and Mo Salah missed chances he usually scores. If the big moments were different, Liverpool would have won.

But that's the problem. There is no structure to Liverpool's play. There is no sustained pressure on the opponent. The midfield is wide open. They are not utilising the brilliant attacking options and the defence is shaky.

So if you rely on moments, sometimes they go for you and sometimes they don't. And that won't win Liverpool the Premier League.

The performances more than the result is a problem. Liverpool looked so tactically astute last season, but decided to spend £400m and tear it up and start again.

As a result, there is no cohesion. Liverpool's stalwarts are out of form and as a result the new signings are struggling to gel.

Arne Slot, so brilliant in his debut season, needs to step up and get this team playing.

Find more from Jordan Chamberlain at Empire of the Kop, external

Tom McCoy
BBC Sport journalist

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Mohamed Salah's decline in form is a concern for Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.

He played a key role in the Premier League title win last season, scoring 29 goals and assisting 18. But the Reds' 'Egyptian King' hasn't hit those heights yet this campaign, with a substantial drop-off in most key attacking metrics.

While it is only a relatively small sample of seven league games, Salah is getting only half as many touches in the opposition box as he did last season. That has led to a corresponding dip in the volume of shots he is taking, and likewise his figures for goals and expected goals.

Whether it is age catching up with the 33-year-old, or changes to Liverpool's squad upsetting the team's overall balance, Slot will have to figure out a way to get Salah back to his best.

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Liverpool's recent dip in form has raised plenty of talking points from tactical tweaks under Arne Slot to issues with intensity and consistency.

Later this week, BBC Sport's senior football correspondent Sami Mokbel will be answering your questions.

So send them in below - what do you want to know about Liverpool's form, team selections or title hopes?

Ask here

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It feels like Mohamed Salah's lack of defensive work has become a little problem for Liverpool, especially against the better teams.

I can totally understand if Arne Slot has told Salah not to track back, because waiting high up the pitch on the right for the transition has made him one of the most potent goalscorers in the world.

But the players behind him are not covering him correctly and that has caused a lot of issues for whoever has been at right-back this season.

Whether it has been Jeremie Frimpong, Conor Bradley or Dominik Szoboszlai, they have been in trouble because they are often facing a two against one overload down their side.

It was a real weakness on Saturday and led to Chelsea's late winner - so the concern must be that more teams will be clever enough to do the same.

The other players have to be able to help out more, and quicker, because it felt like Chelsea were working the ball forwards and then shifting it out to their left as that is where the space was.

If a Liverpool midfielder went out there too late - whether it be Ryan Gravenberch or Alexis Mac Allister - then it left space in the pockets in front of their defence because they were losing a man from the middle.

All of this becomes less of a problem when you are playing teams where you can dominate the ball. We've seen it be successful before - Liverpool won the league playing this way - but they have to tighten up because the top sides will continue to exploit it.

It is not as if Salah has changed his role this season but, because he is not scoring at the other end, maybe the defensive side of his game is amplified.

Read more of Murphy's thoughts over here

Former Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney also "questioned the work ethic" of Salah, who he describes as "lost", on the latest episode of The Wayne Rooney Show.