If Liverpool are going to persist with Arne Slot, I can’t shake the feeling we’re heading away from conventional wingers altogether. Not the old idea of hugging the paint, beating a full-back, and whipping one in. More like wide starters who drift in, live between the lines, and let the width come from elsewhere.

And once Salah leaves, that evolution might speed up. Because the question won’t just be “who replaces the goals?” It’ll be “what role are we actually replacing?” If the right-sided attacker isn’t a pure winger anymore, then the profile changes straight away.

Wide players as inside 10s

Earlier in the season I’d already pictured Salah and Flo as withdrawn wide players, basically left and right-sided 10s rather than chalk-on-the-boots wingers. Not disappearing inside for the sake of it, but properly setting up there to receive, turn, combine and play through pressure.

When you do that, you need the width from somewhere else. That’s where the “overlap and go” full-back becomes massive, especially against low blocks. You can see why the idea of Frimpong and Kerkez appeals in that sort of model: pace, width, and the ability to get around and behind a set defence rather than just recycling it in front of them.

It’s not about being clever for the sake of it either. When teams sit in, the touchline can become a trap. The inside channel is where you can actually hurt them, if you’ve got runners outside to keep the back line honest.

So what does a “Salah replacement” look like?

If that’s the direction, then replacing Salah might not mean finding another classic right winger. It could be someone like Yildiz, who can start wide but naturally wants to come inside and play as a 10. That sort of player lets the right side breathe: combination play inside, overlap outside, and fewer moments where you’re asking one lad to beat two men on his own.

Olise is a different type, but still fits the broader idea. He can hold width when it’s needed, but he can also drift in and create. That flexibility matters if the system asks the “wide” player to read the game rather than just repeat a pattern.

The rest of the squad needs balancing

Truth is, tactics only sing if the spine is right. I still think a midfielder and a centre-half or two puts us right back at the top end of it. Not a glamorous shout, just the obvious one.

The midfielder in particular is the tricky bit. You want someone who can tackle, pass, cover ground, and actually stay fit enough to be trusted week after week. Easy to say, harder to land. But if Liverpool nail that profile, the rest of the structure around Slot’s wide-10 idea starts to look a lot more convincing.

Written by PatrikBurgher: 5 January 2026

Tags: efl tactics