Arne Slott appears to be turning things around for Liverpool, although the Reds are yet to return to their best form.
After one of the worst performances in the club’s recent history, Liverpool are back in fourth place in the Premier League and still have a good chance of advancing to the Champions League.
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The Reds’ victory over Wolves extended Slaughter’s unbeaten run to seven games, although the team’s performance left much to be desired.
One of the biggest problems currently facing Slaughter is a serious injury crisis, and the Dutchman must take urgent action to avoid the situation worsening.
Slot risk increases injury issues
In a bid to turn around Liverpool’s fortunes, Slott has recently favored a system with four midfielders rather than three, with the Reds often putting all available senior midfielders in the starting XI due to injuries and suspensions.
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The problem was most evident when Slott’s side beat Brighton on December 13, a game in which no recognized midfielder was on the bench.
Trey Nyoni is often the only midfielder Slott can call upon from the bench, but the Dutchman prefers to stick with his senior options.
In the face of a serious injury crisis, continuously asking the four core midfielders to play 90 minutes in each game feels like a mistake.
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Nyoni did come on as a substitute against Wolves, but his numbers only improved in the third minute of stoppage time, leaving little time for him to make any significant contribution.
Why didn’t Slot give Nyoni a chance?
It feels like it’s only a matter of time before another of Liverpool’s senior midfielders gets injured.
Apart from the League Cup, Nyoni only made two extremely brief appearances for the Reds, against Tottenham Hotspur and Wolves.
Nyoni came on in the 10th minute of stoppage time against Tottenham, meaning he has only played five minutes for the Reds in the league this season.
The 18-year-old played the full 90 minutes in both of Liverpool’s Carabao Cup games, so Slott had the opportunity to take a closer look, but even with no other options available, Nyoni could not find playing time.
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Giving Nyoni more minutes is necessary if Slaughter wants to protect his still-available midfielders, and the 18-year-old must get opportunities early in games to prove his value to the team.
Arne Slott must learn to trust Nyoni, otherwise Liverpool could be in for a worse injury crisis that could completely derail their season.