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It appears that the Egyptian star's limited defensive contributions has turned into a minor problem for Liverpool, particularly against stronger teams.

It's understandable if coach the Liverpool boss has instructed the forward not to track back, since staying high on the right side during transitions has established him as one of the global deadliest goalscorers.

But, the players in support fail to offer sufficient cover, creating significant issues for anyone has been at the right defensive position in recent matches.

Be it Jeremie Frimpong or another player, they often find themselves in difficulty due to facing a numerical disadvantage on that flank.

It proved a noticeable vulnerability in the recent match, resulting in the opponent's decisive goal – and the worry is that more teams will intelligently exploit this same area.

{'Salah Has Freedom to Skip Defence Duties'

First of all, it's hard to believe that the manager is telling the attacker to track back and support his right-back.

If Salah was told to mark Chelsea's left-back his direct opponent, then this was extremely obvious he wasn't doing it, and the coach would not accept that.

Instead, the manager is granting Salah the freedom to focus exclusively on attacking duties, which is acceptable – there are many examples of different clubs adopting similar tactics, with individuals who prefer to conserve their energy for forward actions.

Certainly, there are always specific situations in a match when the team is under pressure and one might feel compelled to help out.

It's known he can do it, since during they won at a top rival last season, his work rate was outstanding I've seen from him.

But, he likely been specifically asked to perform that role on that day, which is why I am not criticizing him if he is told to remain advanced.

'The Main Issue Is How The Team Are Structured Behind Salah'

The issue with Salah stems from how the side are organized in defensive support, especially when playing stronger teams.

The other players need to offer more and faster assistance, as it seemed like the opposition were advancing the ball forward and subsequently shifting it to their left side, because that's where the space existed.

If a Liverpool midfielder moved wide belatedly – whether it be Alexis Mac Allister – then he created space in central areas in front of the back line because they were missing a player from the center.

All this becomes less critical when playing teams that you dominate the ball against – evidenced by Liverpool previous league wins playing this way – but they need to improve as the top sides will take advantage.

'Liverpool Are Losing Control of Matches'

It is not as if he has changed his role recently, but because he is not scoring in attack, perhaps the defensive aspect of his performance is amplified.

I'm not overly concerned about his form, as he will improve – history shows – in terms of his goal scoring.

He got into some excellent situations against Chelsea but maybe shot when he should have passed, and vice versa, but those chances will continue and the goals will follow.

My main worry with Liverpool currently is their reduced control in matches relative to the previous campaign.

This has been a disappointing week for them, naturally, not just to lose multiple games in a row in the domestic league and European competition but because the display standards have fallen below what we expect.

There are extenuating circumstances, certainly, with all the squad adjustments in the summer and the number of individuals who missed preparatory training, but last season Slot's Liverpool seemed so effective at managing games and that is no longer the case.

It seemed like their organization was solid, and his more possession-based style brought greater control.

This was something that observers instantly saw he had introduced to the team, in contrast to what it was like under the former coach.

Now, though, observing them and it appears a bit chaotic. The last half-hour of the recent match was so frenetic it resembled a cup tie – they had chances to win it, but conceded several chances too, which is why they ended up defeated.

{How Can Slot Address Liverpool Issues?

There are a few things that are not right about the club, and I keep seeing them giving the ball away, but I don't see an hopeless scenario.

Even though they have several new players – and different types too – they don't need to alter their playing style. They simply require to return to being slightly more patient and composed.

Good news is they are only one point adrift of leaders the front-runners and have opportunity to fix the issues that are underperforming.

Fitness element they are lacking will come as the individuals who did not have a full training camp, such as midfielders and full-backs, will reach optimal condition soon.

Developing effective understanding on the pitch always takes time too, whether it be between the right-back and the forward or other important combinations.

Therefore, there is no reason to panic. It feels like currently in the Premier League, and not just with this team but with all teams, you are only one week away from 'catastrophe' and criticism.

The reality is what has happened to Liverpool this week will likely happen at some stage to Arsenal and Manchester City this season.

I had not previously believed that side would be in the title race, but if their star striker stays this hungry and fit they will compete.

The London club, defensively, appear superb again and, overall, after seven games they appear very assured in their performances across the pitch – it seems a continuation of last season, with an extra layer of talent and depth.

With Liverpool it seems more of a rebuild at present. But although there is still work to do for them to find the optimal balance and partnerships, it is expected everyone is anticipating them to improve as the campaign unfolds.