Preview of Frankfurt vs Liverpool (02:00, 23/10): What must Arne Slot do to revive The Kop?

22/10/2025 10:21:00 PANDATV

Once a team resembling last season’s champions, the Merseyside club now appears fragile, directionless, and vulnerable. The key question is: what actions should Slot take to rejuvenate Liverpool?

Making a decisive call on Salah

For the past eight years, Salah has been an irreplaceable icon at Anfield. However, his status is now shaky. During the recent loss to Manchester United, it was the first time Liverpool fans didn’t strongly react when he was substituted in the 85th minute. Salah’s performance was lackluster, lacking energy, and he repeatedly missed clear opportunities.

At 33 years old, Salah no longer possesses the explosive pace he once had and seems affected by the massive £50 million contract Liverpool gave him until 2027. Financial security can sometimes diminish a player’s hunger. Slot must face the reality that Salah is no longer "untouchable" as before.

The question arises: should Slot continue to trust Salah or boldly give chances to Federico Chiesa or Jeremie Frimpong, who have made a difference whenever on the pitch? Slot could choose to support Salah with a more stable lineup around him or take a daring step: rest Salah to help him regain his passion for the game. Whatever path is chosen, it is crucial that Slot shows decisiveness and courage, qualities Jurgen Klopp consistently demonstrated.

Slot must be firm with Salah and give Robertson opportunities

Balancing offense and defense

One of Slot’s standout traits is his open, risk-taking attacking philosophy. Yet when the team is off rhythm, such risks can turn disastrous. Recent losses—especially against Palace and Manchester United—share a pattern: Liverpool committed fully to attack but were caught out on counterattacks or set-piece mistakes.

Slot acknowledged this issue after the defeat to MU: "We had seven or eight attackers on the field when being countered. It’s not an excuse, but that disrupted our defensive structure, which wasn’t as solid as usual."

With the team struggling, Slot needs to limit excessive rotation, particularly in attack. Stability in personnel helps maintain organization and balance. Liverpool should keep their attacking spirit, but Slot must learn to control the tempo, similar to Klopp’s approach in the 2019/20 season.

Restoring the role of key veterans

During Klopp’s prime, Liverpool’s success largely came from their two wide "drills," Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson. However, this season, after Alexander-Arnold’s departure, Slot favors the young full-backs Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, causing the team to lose the chemistry that was their trademark. Kerkez, a £40 million signing from Bournemouth, struggles to adapt and is frequently exploited by opponents, while Frimpong, although energetic, lacks defensive solidity.

Robertson, who hasn’t started any games this season, seems to have been sidelined prematurely. Despite a dip last season due to injury, Robertson still offers stability, experience, and a strong connection with Van Dijk. Given Liverpool’s leaky defense, reinstating Robertson is necessary. A solid backline is fundamental for Slot to stabilize the squad before considering bigger changes.

Establishing a fixed core for Liverpool

Slot’s biggest challenge is not just results but managing too many new players simultaneously. Following a summer transfer window exceeding £450 million, he possesses a "forest of talent": Wirtz, Isak, Ekitike, Frimpong, Kerkez… yet has not found the right combination.

Preview and odds for Eintracht Frankfurt vs Liverpool, 02:00 on 23/10, Champions League

Last season, Liverpool won thanks to stability, maintaining almost the same lineup most of the time. This season, Slot keeps changing the squad frequently, breaking the connections. Florian Wirtz exemplifies this; the £116 million player is still struggling for a place and has been on the bench for three of the last four games. Record signing Alexander Isak (£125 million) also hasn’t settled, while Ekitike, although performing better, remains a backup option.

Slot currently resembles "a child with too many expensive toys" who doesn’t know how to use them. He must establish a fixed lineup, favoring players who understand each other over excessive experimentation. This will allow newcomers to gradually integrate.

Not only has Liverpool lost consecutively, but they have also lost their most dangerous weapon: confidence. Even leaders like Van Dijk show psychological signs of strain. Slot must urgently prevent this negativity from spreading. He needs to restore belief by returning to fundamentals: organizing the defense, passing less but more accurately, controlled pressing, and aiming to win each match one at a time.

After the first two rounds, Frankfurt made a strong impression by beating Galatasaray 5-1

,but then lost to Atletico Madrid by the same scoreline. Nevertheless, coach Dino Toppmoeller’s team has proven their excellent scoring ability. Since the start of the 2025/26 season, Frankfurt has netted 30 goals in 10 matches across all competitions, , cranking second only to Bayern Munich in Bundesliga’s attacking efficiency.Their most notable threat is Jonathan Burkardt,

,who has scored 7 goals in 9 games. Additionally, the fast wing trio of Ritsu Doan, Jean-Matteo Bahoya, and Ansgar Knauff consistently pressure both flanks. Doan alone has contributed to 8 goals (4 scored, 4 assists), while Bahoya and Knauff maintain steady form. Can Uzun, a 19-year-old talent dubbed "world-class" by legend Lothar Matthaus, cannot be overlooked. This young player scored in each of the first 5 Bundesliga matches and provided 3 assists. Arne Slot’s team has lost four straight matches, with the attack nearly paralyzed, scoring only once in two Champions League games. In contrast, Frankfurt has lost only

1 of their last 7 home games in European competitions.

Comment (0)