A pundit has urged Liverpool head coach Arne Slot to snub one Reds star who is currently nowhere “near the first XI” for the match vs Manchester United.
Liverpool slipped into a mini-crisis before the international break as they suffered three away losses in a row against Crystal Palace, Galatasaray and Chelsea.
Before this, Slot’s side went on a winning run to move clear at the top of the Premier League, though they were fortunate in these matches as they had to rely on late goals and moments of brilliance from key stars.
Now, Liverpool have fallen from the top of the Premier League and they are under pressure to return to winning ways against arch-rivals Man Utd this weekend.
Liverpool have several notable issues as they are lacking balance following their £400m summer overhaul, while most of their new signings are taking time to settle.
Summer signing Jeremie Frimpong is among those under scrutiny. Former Scotland international Don Hutchinson has urged Slot to start Conor Bradley ahead of the Netherlands international for the foreseeable future, while Andy Robertson looked like a “League Two player” against Chelsea.
“I’d have Bradley starting in the team now, absolutely. I don’t think Frimpong’s current standard gets him anywhere near the first XI for Liverpool,” Hutchinson said.
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“I’ve watched every Liverpool match I could so far this season, and in some matches like the Southampton game, he just kept giving the ball away. Simple passes were going stray, and his confidence is just starting to erode.
“He played right wing against Galatasaray, and I think that was Arne Slot experimenting for who steps in for Salah when he’s off at the Africa Cup of Nations. But he struggled then, too. I just think you’re looking at a young player who is struggling for form.
“When I watch Liverpool now, I see a team that is so out of sorts that they have to go back to basics. It needs to be Bradley at right-back. On the left, it’s harder to say.
“I still rate Andy Robertson but seeing him with his hands on his knees at Chelsea as Eestevao scored, I’d think he was a League Two player.
“I’d love to know what he was thinking when he was taking a breather then. On the left, toss a coin between Kerkez and Robertson, but Bradley has to be starting on the right.”
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Regarding Robertson, the Liverpool star is in the final year of his contract and Football Insider reporter Pete O’Rourke has indicated that he has “no chance” of leaving in January.
“I think probably later in the season things will become more clear on what’s going to happen with Andy Robertson’s future,” O’Rourke told Football Insider.
“There’s no chance of [him] moving [in] January, Liverpool won’t allow that to happen, [they] won’t think they’ll then [not] need Andy Robertson around.
“His experience will be invaluable for Liverpool between now and the end of the season and he is vice captain there as well, so, that shows how much Arne Slot rates him as well.”
