Liverpool headed to Old Trafford without a host of key names.
Alexander Isak joined an injury list that already included Mohamed Salah, Alisson Becker and Hugo Ekitike. The Reds were also without Conor Bradley, who is expected to be sidelined until 2027 at the earliest, meaning Arne Slot had to rejig a few things for the clash with Manchester United.
The Dutchman had decisions to make. And he made them. Did he make the right decisions? The answer to that is subjective but with the reigning Premier League champions losing, it does appear as though the former Feyenoord boss got it wrong.
In this article, we’ll cover:
Especially in the first half. United raced into a 2-0 lead inside of 15 minutes and Bruno Fernandes missed a glorious chance to add a third before the half hour mark. The hosts had their visitors on the ropes and should’ve had the game won before the half-time whistle.
Liverpool mounted a comeback in the second half, capitalising on two United mistakes to get back to 2-2 before Kobbie Mainoo scored what turned out to be the winner. And it was a deserved winner. Michael Carrick’s side finished with an Expected Goals total of 2.8, significantly higher than the 0.87 the Reds carved out.
Slot’s side may have dominated the ball, finishing with 61% possession, but United, for the most part, dominated the space. They limited the away side to nothing of note and just let them circulate sterile possession for the majority of the match.
Liverpool transfer plans outlined
Liverpool have a lot of issues heading into the summer transfer window. A replacement for Mohamed Salah is needed. There’s a feeling another left-sided attacker is required with Cody Gakpo struggling this term and Florian Wirtz not fitting in as a left-winger in a Slot system. The Reds also need to figure out how they manage the left-back situation with Andrew Robertson departing at the end of the campaign. But perhaps the biggest priority for Richard Hughes is figuring out what the plan is at right-back.
Midnite Offer: Bet £10, get £30 in free bets
How to claim:
- Open an account at Midnite using this link.
- Deposit £10 or more
- Place your first bet of £10 or more (minimum odds of 1/1)
- Receive £30 in free bets, valid for 7 days on selected betse only.
18+ New customers only. Place a £10+ bet at min odds 1/1 (2.0) within 14 days of sign-up. Get £30 in Free Bets, valid for 7 days on selected bets only. Free stake not returned with winnings. T&Cs apply. BeGambleAware.org
Over recent weeks, Curtis Jones has been in possession of the position. At times this term, Dominik Szoboszlai has been forced into that role. Unless he has to, Slot has done everything to avoid Jeremie Frimpong being used there. It’s a strange decision given Liverpool parted with £30m to bring the one-time Celtic full-back in to replace Trent Alexander-Arnold. He was signed for his versatility too, but he was presented as a right-back option, battling it out for minutes with Bradley.
And yet, whenever he’s been fit, Frimpong has, largely, been used as a forward player. The only other senior right-back within the squad is Calvin Ramsay and he’s watched on from the bench for the majority of the season, making just one start in the Carabao Cup.
New right-back a necessity this summer
Slot seemingly doesn’t trust Frimpong or Ramsay. As a result, he’s having to use midfielders out of position while simultaneously weakening the middle third. This can’t continue into the 2026/27 campaign. And this is why a right-back is a must this summer.
Having to invest in another right-back makes the decision to sign Frimpong a little more bewildering. He impressed for Bayer Leverkusen as a flying wing-back and the assumption was that he’d be an attacking full-back for the Reds. He couldn’t replace Alexander-Arnold’s passing but he could help Liverpool replace their former No.66 in the aggregate. Frimpong was a progressive ball carrier. Let him funnel play down the right flank. It hasn’t come to fruition though.
Frimpong was barely involved against Manchester United and when he was, it was apparent that he isn’t an attacker. Most of his passes went backwards, he failed to complete a single take-on attempt and managed just one cross at Old Trafford.
He’s a £30m problem for the current reigning champions. Not able to play right-back and a non-entity as a right-winger when starting. His lack of technical ability stands out like a sore thumb in the final third. Once his pace advantage is nullified, the opposition easily nullifies him.
And Slot is having to go to great lengths to accommodate him. Jones played at right-back at Old Trafford and it meant Liverpool didn’t have midfield depth on the bench and he’s shown on multiple occasions that he’s not eager to bring on youngster Trey Nyoni unless he has to.
Pedro Porro the answer?
It’s 12 months too late but the Reds need to replace Alexander-Arnold this summer. If the build-up isn’t changing, a ball-playing, game-breaking right-back is needed for this team to function effectively. There aren’t many out there, but Pedro Porro ticks a number of boxes and has been tentatively linked.
Signing a right-back makes or breaks Liverpool’s 2026/27 campaign. It’s not an exaggeration either because with Jones likely to depart this summer, the Reds aren’t blessed with options at full-back and it’d mean Szoboszlai moonlights at right-back for a further 12 months, all while looking to negotiate a new deal.