Slot needs width, not more bodies

I’m trying to park the late wonder goal, because you can talk about closing down all you like and still admit it was a proper finish. It’s the kind of strike that makes you sigh, even when you’re fuming.

The more nagging issue for me was everything that came before it. That first half was a disgrace. Not just “a bit flat”, but lifeless, like we were playing in treacle and hoping the game would solve itself. I was at the point of wanting to sack Arne Slot at half-time, and that’s not a place I like to get to. But that’s where the performance dragged me.

Second-half intensity, but what did it cost?

Fair play, the second half had slightly better intensity. The ball moved a touch quicker, there was more urgency in duels, and the general tempo felt more like Liverpool. But it also looked like we were paying for it with a bit of control.

There’s a balance to strike. You want pressure and speed, but not the sort that just turns into a mad scramble where everyone sprints forward and the structure disappears. We committed more men to the attack, and to be honest I’m not convinced that’s the answer on its own. Sometimes that just means you’ve got more red shirts in the same areas, all wanting it to feet, all blocking each other’s angles.

Why are the full-backs standing next to the wingers?

This is the bit that’s doing my head in. I don’t understand why the full-backs aren’t being let off the leash to bomb on and give us proper width. Instead, they seem to run up and then just… stand near the winger. Two feet away. Same lane, same space, same problem.

It blunts the whole attack. If your full-back is basically occupying the winger’s postcode without actually going beyond him, what’s the point? You’re not creating a new option, you’re taking one away. The winger can’t isolate his man, can’t shift inside without traffic, and the pass down the line becomes predictable because there’s no real overlap to worry anyone.

For me the key is simple: release the full-backs to get around the outside. Give quick, wide options. Stretch the pitch. Make defenders turn. That’s how you create the extra half-yard, not by piling more bodies into the middle and hoping something opens up.

A stay of execution, but questions remain

The second half wasn’t disgraceful. It was decent, passable, the bare minimum you’d accept after a first period like that. And maybe that’s enough for a stay of execution in the heat of a match-going mood.

But Slot does look like he’s floundering at times, like he’s still searching for the clearest version of what he wants this side to be. The fix might not be dramatic. It might just be width, timing, and giving the full-backs permission to actually hurt teams instead of standing next to the lad who’s meant to do it.

Written by Davey Sulls: 12 January 2026