According to The Athletic, Liverpool's 0-0 draw at home against Fulham on Saturday exposed midfield problems, leaving manager Arne Slot facing a difficult balancing act between squad composition and defensive stability.

While previous victories over Ipswich and Atlético Madrid showed Slot is making his mark at Liverpool, this frustrating draw revealed the challenges he must address.

It was an error-prone, lifeless match. Liverpool played without urgency, carelessly, and lacked cohesion. For long periods, they were dominated by a team that had lost all three of their previous league matches before visiting Anfield.

Slot believed fatigue from the midweek victory over Diego Simeone's Atlético was a significant factor in his team's dramatic loss of form. The intensity was clearly lacking.

After the match, Slot told reporters: "Obviously we lacked freshness. There's no hiding from that."

"This is the worst turnaround between games at just over 60 hours, but these situations will happen more often. We need to adapt."

"In a game like this, you sometimes need set pieces, shots from the edge of the box, or a moment of individual brilliance from an attacker to win, but we had none of that. Since I've been here, it's the first time the team has struggled so much to create chances."

Alexander Isak missed a decisive late chance, heading Dominic Soboslai's corner kick well wide and looking completely exhausted. Barça also underperformed. The high-profile signing from Paris Saint-Germain still needs time to find his rhythm, which is entirely understandable.

However, the most concerning weakness Liverpool showed against Fulham had nothing to do with player fatigue. Take the left-back position, for example: returning Konstantinos Tsimikas produced a terrible display and was substituted at half-time. The Greek defender was actually lucky to last that long. He won just 3 of 8 ground duels (38% success rate) and completed 20 of 31 passes (65% accuracy).

After Robertson's departure, bringing back Tsimikas from his Roma loan spell to serve as backup to Kerkez was a budget option. However, the decision not to venture into the transfer market for a new signing could ultimately prove costly for Liverpool.

Kerkez was introduced in the second half against Fulham. The Hungarian defender had a difficult start to the season, but he has no genuine competition in his position. Young academy prospect Chambers, who impressed Slot in preseason and wasn't loaned out, should be a better option than Tsimikas.

Slot's biggest concern is the current midfield setup—a question of both squad composition and finding the right defensive balance.

Liverpool chose not to strengthen midfield this summer, believing the new manager could extract more potential from the existing squad.

Despite calls from some fans for a dedicated number 6, Slot believes his tactical system doesn't require one. With Curtis Jones moving to Serie A champions Inter Milan, young Endo is expected to see more playing time.

Had Mac Allister decided to leave after hearing he wouldn't receive a new contract, Monaco's Kamara would have been the preferred replacement.

Using Wirtz as one of the midfield three in his preferred system is a gamble. The German playmaker works when providing decisive creativity, but when ineffective in the number 10 role—as he was against Fulham—his positioning leaves those behind him covering too much space. Wirtz completed 44 of 53 passes (83% accuracy) and won 1 of 4 duels (25% success rate). In the second half, he produced a lovely backheel to create a chance for Barcola, but the French winger failed to find the waiting Alexander Isak. At other times, Wirtz's imprecise passing caused problems, drawing frustration from the Anfield crowd.

To inject freshness, Slot gave Ryan Gravenberch his first start since the opening weekend, but the Dutch midfielder, who signed a six-year extension last March, still hasn't shaken off the poor form from late in Slot's predecessor's tenure.

Gravenberch looked lacking in confidence, frustrated and shaking his head after losing the ball cheaply. He completed 24 of 31 passes (77% accuracy) and won 4 of 7 duels (57% success rate).

Mac Allister, who is regaining form, was far more solid after replacing Gravenberch in the final 30 minutes. The midfielder, who scored the winner in Wednesday's Atlético clash, completed 18 of 20 passes (90% accuracy) and won his only duel.

The midfield pairing of Dominic Soboslai and Gravenberch provided little control. Fulham penetrated the space between them too easily. Like Gravenberch, Liverpool rewarded Hungarian captain Soboslai with a five-year contract extension last July—a significant financial investment.

The deal was justified by his outstanding performances throughout last season. On Saturday, he created more chances than any other player on the pitch (4), and his ball-carrying ability is undeniable. However, Anfield fans expressed frustration with his defensive work. Soboslai won just 1 of 10 duels, which was unacceptable. Liverpool's midfield problems and how to find the right balance between attack and defense troubled Slot, who said: "Especially in the first half, our pressing was always one step too slow. That was very clear."

"In the second half, we improved significantly in this area. We had better structure on the pitch and controlled the game better, even without scoring. We felt more comfortable. Despite not excelling in this area and sometimes struggling, we didn't give the opposition any clear scoring opportunities. The only chance we gave them came from a poor goal kick from us."

That nervous moment stemmed from an incredibly reckless pass by Alisson to a pressured Gravenberch, which Jaka eventually cleared off the line to block a Gonzalo García shot. The moment perfectly illustrated Liverpool's overall sloppiness.

Benched Endo should start Tuesday night's League Cup quarter-final against Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield.

Slot's midfield engine room is not firing on all cylinders.

AI 번역.

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