Liverpool have been advised to change their back four and their formation to arrest their dreadful form by Gary Neville.
Arne Slot’s side slumped to a terrible 3-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest on Saturday, their sixth loss in seven games. Virgil van Dijk admitted they are letting down the manager who led them to the Premier League title last season.
Neville has suggested that Slot reverts to a more pragmatic defence to shore up their concessions.
Liverpool named Dominik Szoboszlai, Ibrahima Konta, Van Dijk and Milos Kerkez at home to Forest.
“The manager has to change the style or the system,” former Manchester United right-back Neville told Sky Sports.
“He has to help them. That, to me, means being more solid in midfield and at the back.
“I’m talking about personnel changes. Kerkez is struggling, Konate is struggling.
“Like Arsenal and Manchester City have done, [put] four centre-backs into your back four. Keep a narrow, tight back four and tell everyone that you’re adapting and changing to keep clean sheets and stop teams from having chances at your goal.
“In midfield, [put] a narrow four in there. That could be Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and [either] Florian Wirtz or Cody Gakpo tucked in.
“Then you might leave Mohamed Salah off Hugo Ekitike, or Alexander Isak. Or Ekitike and Isak. Two of them. Leave them up there, and make sure they work back.
“Do something different. That feels basic. It feels like I’m telling Arne Slot, a world-class coach, what to do. But I have seen world-coach coaches that I played for drop their ego about how we’re going to play, and forget that we’re a great side.
“You’re not, at this moment, a great side. You are easily beatable so you have to do something differently.”
– Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk: We’re letting Slot down amid ‘mess’ of a season
– Liverpool’s Premier League crisis: The stats that shame Arne Slot after Nottingham Forest loss
– Arne Slot: ‘I am responsible’ but Liverpool ‘have a way out’
Liverpool sit 11th in the Premier League, the first time in 10 years that they have been in the bottom half.
Van Dijk conceded that the season is “a mess” and implored his teammates to take more responsibility.
Liverpool have shipped three goals to Forest, Man City, Crystal Palace and Brentford recently.
