🔗 Share this article Defensive Problems Pose Bigger Challenge for Liverpool's Manager Than Making Isak and Mohamed Salah to Fire It is now appropriate to start judging Alexander Isak fairly as a £125 million Liverpool striker, Arne Slot commented on Friday. As such, judgment must be harsh, but as Britain’s highest-priced footballer was seated next to Mohamed Salah on the Reds bench while the English top-flight champions tried in vain to force an equaliser against their rivals without them, it was not Slot’s underperforming offence that warranted the harshest criticism at Anfield. The team's backline structure has vanished. Anonymous Display from Key Forwards Yes, Isak was mostly anonymous in the centre-forward role and the Egyptian winger subpar once more as his difficulties persisted versus the team he typically scores against. The Sweden player had his first shot on target in the Premier League as a Reds player in the 35th minute, well saved by United’s new goalkeeper Senne Lammens. Salah wasted a excellent after the break opportunity facing the Kop and neither complain when their numbers came up. Cody Gakpo also struck the crossbar on multiple occasions and inexplicably was unable to net a second moments after the defender's winner. Impossible Loss Despite Opportunities It should have been impossible for Liverpool to lose a game in which they generated plenty of chances, the manager claimed. But it is possible with a defence in current state, as one opponent, Chelsea and currently Manchester United have demonstrated. Backline Collapse During Scrutiny As he presided over a fourth straight loss as the club's manager, the first man to do so since Brendan Rodgers in November 2014, the coach must have despaired at a defensive performance that invited the visitors to take the initiative as well as their initial win at the ground in nearly a decade. Filled with the identical errors that the team's management had focused on fixing after the international break, including another dead-ball score, it was a display that totally derailed the champions’ after halftime comeback and lost them the match. Momentum Squandered Even with Uptick Momentum was at last with the hosts when the substitute equalized the forward's early opener. Liverpool could sense another last-minute victory with substitutes Hugo Ekitiké, a midfielder and Federico Chiesa sparking improvement and the opposition in defensive mode. Rather, it was a further late Premier League defeat, the third straight, after the team's set-piece weaknesses resurfaced and the defender found himself among several United members unmarked past the centre-back in the closing stages. Organized Rivals Outperform A powerful goal into the goal that Maguire blazed over in the final moments of the previous campaign's tie gave the United manager the finest victory of his challenging club tenure. Despite the negativity surrounding Amorim it was his squad that performed with clear purpose and a well-executed approach for the bulk of a compelling contest. The initial back-to-back Premier League wins of Amorim’s time in charge were the outcome. The Liverpool side once more looked like unfamiliar at times, particularly when allowing a dead-ball score for the fifth occasion in the division the current campaign. Early Opener Reveals Backline Issues The home side were exposed from the inception to the execution of the attacker's quick-fire first goal. There was no purchase on the first header from Virgil van Dijk, a likely consequence of having to pass opponents to reach the ball, admittedly, and no pressure on the playmaker when he received the ball and released the winger in open area on the right flank. Milos Kerkez was slow to react, the centre-back slow to recover and follow Mbeumo’s movement while Giorgi Mamardashvili, deputising for the injured Alisson in goal, was comfortably beaten from the position. Refereeing and Concentration Questions The manager could reasonably question his head and ask why the foul was from the referee, an official with whom he has a feisty history, but also question the concentration and coordination among his defenders. Mbeumo’s strike indicates the team have kept only two shutouts in a dozen games so far, the most recent coming eight games ago at another ground. Repeated Exploitation of Left Flank The visitors carved open Liverpool’s left flank frequently in a first half in which Fernandes, Mason Mount and even the attacker all came close to doubling the away team's lead. Sending Diallo early against the full-back was obviously part of Amorim’s gameplan. It succeeded time and again in the first half. The £40 million new arrival from his former club experienced another tough match in a Liverpool shirt. Throw-ins were also a problem for Andy Robertson’s chosen successor, who almost put Mbeumo through while making an challenge. Kerkez and Van Dijk seem on not in sync at the moment. Manager’s Explanation and Acknowledgment “Our approach involves a many risks,” the head coach explained following the opposition's victory. “Following the 62nd minute we had multiple offensive members on the field. This is maybe why our organization for the set-piece was not as perfect as we usually are. Usually we would have additional defensive personnel on the field. Perhaps it is a fluke but it is no justification. The team understands we have to do better.”