Arne Slot must find answers to Liverpool problems as he learns difficult truth

After falling to defeat in the Premier League at Crystal Palace at the weekend, the Premier League champions suffered Champions League defeat in Turkey, losing 1-0 to Galatasaray

Arne Slot has walked on water since striding into Anfield, replacing fan favourite Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager and duly winning the Premier League title at the first attempt.

At one stage during his debut campaign he had Liverpool on course for a historic quadruple, like the great Pep Guardiola has done in the past at Manchester City. And the Dutchman won a host of new admirers for making his team better than it had ultimately become under his predecessor.

However, the Kop boss now finds himself in danger of dropping beneath the surface. He’s discovering what many, many managers have found down the years: it’s much harder to remain at the top, than get there in the first place.

Successive defeats in the league and now Champions League, should bring Slot’s issues into sharp focus – as should Galatasaray’s mocking. The common belief is that defences win teams titles. And Liverpool’s has not been strong enough.

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The English champions have conceded 13 goals in 10 games already this season, keeping just two clean sheets and have relied on late rallies to win a number of matches.

Liverpool might have one of the best defenders in the world – if not the best – in their colossal captain Virgil Van Dijk. But Slot’s back four are not performing well enough as a unit, a situation not helped by the decision to put midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai in defence for the loss in Istanbul, with right back Jeremie Frimpong operating in a more advanced role.

Also further up the field, £116m signing Florian Wirtz has failed to make as quick an impact as club bosses had hoped. He has still not scored a goal and resembles a peripheral figure. Wirtz is too talented not to succeed, but the growing feeling is that he has unbalanced Liverpool’s midfield.

Record signing Alexander Isak remains off the pace following his self-imposed strike as he forced his move away from Newcastle, while it’s doubtful Slot will decide to start without Mo Salah again for a big Champions League game.

Injuries to Alisson and another of the Reds’ new boys, Hugo Ekitike, added to a tough night by the Bosphorus, ahead of a tough trip to Stamford Bridge to face world champions Chelsea this weekend.

If they’re going to waltz away from west London with three points in the bag, then Slot has some problems and puzzles to solve.

He will know deep down that Liverpool have lost the hallmarks of composure and calm from last season. He will know his team have to stop losing leads and games which should be won.

He will know he has time on his side to get his side back to the standards they set during the 2024-25 campaign. And he will know above all of the above, that he’s paid the big bucks to come up with the solutions.

And failing to find those solutions is not an option at a club like Liverpool.

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