GARY NEVILLE has suggested that Arne Slot should bench one of his marquee summer signings to try and curb their recent drop in form.
The Reds were flying high at the top of the Premier League table just weeks ago with a flawless record of five wins from five games.
But a bizarre turnaround has seen them lose their last four in the competition, and tumble down to seventh in the table.
Following their 3-2 loss to Brentford on Saturday, Manchester United legend Neville gave his assessment of the situation.
He singled out the full-backs as an area of improvement, and especially called for Milos Kerkez – who signed from Bournemouth for £40million in summer – to be dropped to help stabilise the club.
He said on his Sky Sports show ‘The Gary Neville podcast’: “Earlier on in the season I felt as though their full-backs weren’t right, and maybe [Ibrahima] Konate at times wasn’t right, but [Virgil] Van Dijk was holding them together and Alisson was in goal and you’ve got two world-class performers there.
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“But the virus is catching. It’s not just going into the left back, who I think now is becoming a worry – the left back, Kerkez scored but watching him, he has to be taken out I think.
“I’m worried about the right-back. [Jeremie] Frimpong’s not a right-back.
“Conor Bradley‘s being given his head and I’m supportive of that because I think there’s a lot of talent there, but it’s difficult when your team is conceding goals and the pressure’s on.”
Neville, who won eight Premier League titles and three FA Cups as a defender for United, says that a more pragmatic approach will allow the club’s other big-money signings to flourish.
The reigning champions evidently have defensive issues, having conceded 10 goals in their last five outings in the division.
And despite scoring a consolation goal in their most recent loss, Neville said Kerkez should be the first priority when making adjustments to fix the team’s porous back line.
He continued: “It sounds quite defensive, and like going back to base camp, but sometimes you have to do that when everything’s crazy, chaotic and mad, which it is for Liverpool.
“You just have to find that foundation which ultimately can keep a narrow back four, prevent spaces, win your duels and set-pieces, don’t give easy goals away, play it forward quicker and be a little bit more direct knowing that front three will win you games.
“I wonder whether it’s a time now for Arne Slot to simplify. If he carries on playing Kerkez and Bradley and they carry on being as exposed as they are in midfield, you’ll keep getting the same results or flipping a game on are we going to win or are we going to lose.
“He cannot allow this each week to happen. It’s a pattern of what they have become and he’s going to have to do something different.”
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