🔗 Share this article Defensive Problems Present Larger Challenge for Slot Compared to Getting Isak and Mohamed Salah to Fire Now is the moment to start judging Alexander Isak equitably as a £125m Liverpool attacker, the Liverpool head coach stated on the weekend. In that case, the assessment should be critical, but as the UK's costliest player was seated alongside Mohamed Salah on the Liverpool substitutes while the English top-flight champions tried in vain to secure an equaliser against Manchester United in their absence, it was not Slot’s misfiring offence that warranted the harshest criticism at Anfield. The team's backline structure has disappeared. Quiet Display from Star Forwards Yes, Isak was predominantly quiet in the No 9 position and Salah disappointing again as his difficulties continued against the team he often plunders. The Sweden international had his first attempt on goal in the top division as a Liverpool player in the first half, well saved by the opposition's latest shot-stopper the young keeper. The forward missed a glorious second-half opportunity facing the Kop and neither complain when their substitution eventually. The Dutch attacker also hit the woodwork three times and inexplicably was unable to net a second moments after Harry Maguire’s decisive goal. Unthinkable Loss Despite Chances It seemed unthinkable for Liverpool to be defeated in a match in which they generated so many opportunities, Slot claimed. But it is possible with a backline in this form, as one opponent, another rival and now Manchester United have shown. Defensive Collapse Under Pressure While overseeing a fourth consecutive loss as the club's head coach, the first man to do so since a previous manager in November 2014, the coach must have been frustrated at a backline effort that invited the visitors to seize control as well as their initial win at the ground in nearly a decade. Littered with the identical errors that the team's coaching staff had worked on fixing after the pause, including another dead-ball goal, it was a display that totally undermined the title holders' second half recovery and lost them the game. Momentum Lost Even with Uptick Momentum was at last with the home side when Gakpo equalized the forward's early opener. Liverpool could sense another last-minute victory with substitutes Hugo Ekitiké, a midfielder and Federico Chiesa igniting progress and United in defensive mode. Rather, it was a further late Premier League loss, the third straight, after Liverpool’s set-piece weaknesses resurfaced and the defender found himself one of three opposition members free behind Ibrahima Konaté in the closing stages. Purposeful Rivals Excel A powerful header into the goal that the player blazed over in the dying seconds of last season’s 2-2 draw gave Ruben Amorim the best victory of his challenging club reign. For all the negativity around Amorim it was his squad that performed with obvious strategy and a well-executed plan for the majority of a thrilling contest. The first back-to-back league wins of Amorim’s reign were the outcome. The Liverpool side again appeared like strangers at points, especially when allowing a set-piece score for the fifth occasion in the division the current campaign. Early Goal Reveals Backline Issues Liverpool were found wanting from the start to the execution of Mbeumo’s 62-second opener. There was little impact on the first header from the captain, a likely consequence of having to go through opponents to connect with the ball, to be fair, and little challenge on the playmaker when he received the ball and released Amad Diallo in space on the right. Milos Kerkez was late to respond, Van Dijk delayed to track back and mark the forward's movement while the goalkeeper, filling in for the unavailable Alisson in net, was comfortably beaten from the angle. Officiating and Concentration Questions The manager could reasonably question his head and wonder where the foul was from the referee, an referee with whom he has a feisty past, but also question the concentration and communication levels his backline. The forward's strike indicates Slot’s team have managed only a couple of clean sheets in a dozen games so far, the most recent occurring many matches previously at Burnley. Repeated Targeting of Left Flank The visitors exposed the left side frequently in a first half in which the midfielder, another player and also the attacker all nearly scored to doubling the away team's advantage. Releasing the winger quickly versus the full-back was clearly in Amorim’s tactic. It worked repeatedly in the first half. The £40m summer signing from his former club endured another difficult evening in a Liverpool jersey. Set-pieces were even a problem for the previous player's replacement, who nearly sent the forward through while making an interception. Kerkez and Van Dijk appear on different wavelengths at present. Manager’s Analysis and Admission “We take a many gambles,” Slot explained after United’s victory. “After the second half we had multiple offensive players on the field. This is perhaps why our organization for the set-piece was not as perfect as we typically are. Usually we would have more defensive personnel on the field. Perhaps it is a fluke but it is not an excuse. We know we have to improve.”