🔗 Share this article Defence Issues Present Larger Headache for Liverpool's Manager Than Getting Alexander Isak and Salah to Score It is now appropriate to start judging Alexander Isak fairly as a £125m Anfield centre forward, the Liverpool head coach commented on Friday. Therefore, judgment must be harsh, but as Britain’s most expensive footballer sat alongside Mohamed Salah on the Reds substitutes while the Premier League title holders struggled to secure an leveler versus Manchester United in their absence, it was not Slot’s misfiring offence that warranted the fiercest scrutiny at Anfield. His defence has vanished. Anonymous Display from Key Attackers Yes, Isak was largely anonymous in the No 9 role and Salah again poor as his individual toils continued against the club he typically plunders. The Swedish international had his initial shot on target in the Premier League as a Reds player in the first half, smartly stopped by the opposition's latest shot-stopper Senne Lammens. Salah wasted a glorious second-half chance in front of the Kop and could not protest when their substitution came up. Cody Gakpo also hit the crossbar on multiple occasions and somehow failed to score a second moments after the defender's winner. Impossible Loss In Spite of Opportunities It ought to have been unthinkable for the hosts to lose a game in which they created numerous chances, Slot claimed. But it is not impossible with a backline in this form, as one opponent, Chelsea and now United have proven. Backline Breakdown Under Pressure While overseeing a fourth consecutive loss as Liverpool head coach, the first person to do so after a previous manager in years past, the coach must have despaired at a defence display that allowed United to take the initiative as well as their initial win at the ground in nearly a decade. Filled with the same mistakes that the team's coaching staff had focused on fixing following the international break, including another set-piece goal, it was a performance that completely undermined the champions’ after halftime recovery and cost them the game. Momentum Lost Even with Improvement Momentum was at last with the hosts when Gakpo equalized Bryan Mbeumo’s quick opener. Liverpool could feel another last-minute win with replacements Hugo Ekitiké, Curtis Jones and Federico Chiesa sparking improvement and the opposition in defensive mode. Instead, it was another late Premier League defeat, the third straight, after the team's set-piece frailties re-emerged and Maguire found himself among several opposition members unmarked behind the centre-back in the closing stages. Organized Opposition Excel A powerful header into the net that Maguire missed in the final moments of last season’s tie gave Ruben Amorim the finest victory of his challenging United reign. Despite the criticism surrounding Amorim it was his team that performed with clear purpose and a well-executed approach for the bulk of a thrilling contest. The first consecutive league wins of Amorim’s reign were the result. The Liverpool side again looked like strangers at points, particularly when conceding a dead-ball score for the fifth occasion in the Premier League the current campaign. Quick Opener Reveals Backline Issues The home side were exposed from the start to the execution of the attacker's quick-fire opener. There was little impact on the initial attempt from Virgil van Dijk, a probable result of having to go through opponents to connect with the pass, admittedly, and no pressure on the playmaker when he received the ball and passed to Amad Diallo in open area on the right flank. the defender was late to respond, the centre-back slow to track back and mark Mbeumo’s movement while Giorgi Mamardashvili, filling in for the injured first-choice keeper in net, was comfortably beaten from the position. Refereeing and Concentration Questions The manager could reasonably point to his head and ask why the foul was from Michael Oliver, an referee with whom he has a contentious past, but also doubt the concentration and communication levels his backline. The forward's strike means the side have kept only two shutouts in a dozen games this season, the last coming eight games ago at another ground. Repeated Exploitation of Defensive Side United exposed Liverpool’s left side repeatedly in a first half in which Fernandes, another player and also Gakpo all came close to increasing the visitors’ advantage. Sending Diallo early against the full-back was clearly part of Amorim’s strategy. It worked time and again in the opening half. The £40 million new arrival from Bournemouth experienced another difficult match in a Liverpool jersey. Set-pieces were even a problem for Andy Robertson’s replacement, who almost sent Mbeumo in on goal while attempting an interception. The defender and Van Dijk appear on not in sync at present. Manager’s Explanation and Admission “Our approach involves a lot of gambles,” Slot explained after the opposition's victory. “After the second half we had six or seven offensive players on the field. That’s perhaps why our organization for the dead-ball was not as perfect as we typically are. Usually we would have additional defensive personnel on the pitch. Perhaps it is a coincidence but it is not an excuse. We know we have to do better.”