Despite winning back to back games in all competitions, Liverpool remain a work in progress this season under Arne Slot.
The reigning champions find themselves sixth in the Premier League table, 10 points behind leaders Arsenal, and struggling to hang on to leads late into games.
For Liverpool legend Emile Heskey, who scored 60 goals for the club between 1999 and 2004, the side’s current malaise has much to do with a shift in tactics.
'Slot needs to respect that Mo deserves to be handled a little bit differently' Heskey believes some Liverpool superstars demand more delicate handling
“It’s just a transition,” Heskey tells FFT via Casino.org, where you can examine casino bonuses.
“They’ve gone from a team playing 4-3-3 for a long time under one successful manager, to a new man coming in and ultimately wanting something a little bit different. Then going out and buying the players to implement that and them taking time to adjust.”
Slot’s attempts at arresting Liverpool’s slide have taken a hit by a recent falling out with star man Mo Salah. The Egyptian made headlines with an extraordinary rant following his side’s 3-3 draw with Leeds United earlier this month – a game which saw him benched for a third consecutive fixture.
“Now I'm sitting on the bench and I don't know why,” he said, before appearing to take aim at Slot. “It seems like the club has thrown me under the bus. That is how I am feeling. I think it is very clear that someone wanted me to get all of the blame (for Liverpool’s recent slump).”
Heskey believes Salah himself is having to cope with a transition in terms of his own status in the side. “Mo Salah has also gone through a pretty dramatic translation,” says Heskey.
“In his case, it’s a transition from a player who has been fantastic and scored a ridiculous number of goals and won so many trophies as the main man, to being someone who is asked to fit into a more balanced attacking unit where he needs to take a step back from the limelight a little. There’s a changing of the guard and he’s no longer that permanent fixture on the team sheet.”
Even so, Heskey feels Slot could have handled the Premier League’s reigning golden boot winner with a little more care.
“Mo’s a player who deserves the respect of being spoken to before being dropped,” says Heskey. “Or getting an understanding of why from his manager. That’s because of what he’s done.
"Of course, that’s the manager's decision and he can make that decision. Mo needs to respect that. But at the same time, Slot needs to respect that Mo deserves to be handled a little bit differently.
"He’s not a youngster, or even a normal star in a squad, he’s Mo Salah – a Liverpool legend. Just look at his goals, assists and trophies. He deserves an explanation.”
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