The mood at Liverpool has been lifted amid what has been a trying season with several unwanted issues.
Arne Slot had been under pressure from fans after seeing the Reds win just three matches in a run of 12 fixtures across all competitions.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah’s outburst has put a lot of unwanted eyes on the club and created a difficult situation ahead of this weekend’s meeting with Brighton and Hove Albion.
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It is not all negative, however, as Liverpool have, performances aside, gone unbeaten in their last four matches and most recently secured a big away victory against Inter Milan in the Champions League.
Liverpool players like Arne Slot’s new system
With Salah out of the squad, Slot was able to make some key changes to his starting eleven for that fixture.
Most notably, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike started the tie together, the first time that has happened this season.
The Swede drifted out wide a fair bit, but was still used centrally in the new-look 4-4-2 diamond formation employed.
Alan Shearer spotted the Liverpool change versus Inter Milan, which worked out well and helped the Reds earn a much-needed three points in Europe.
Now, a report from the Daily Mail says that new system used by Slot has gone down well with the squad for two reasons.
Firstly, players think that it brings the best out of several stars, and secondly, it gets as many senior names into the starting eleven as possible.
Arne Slot might be making a mistake if he doesn’t play Salah…
Photo by Robin Jones/Getty Images
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What Arne Slot said about Alexander Isak in new formation
While the system clearly had a positive impact on many, including the in-form Curtis Jones, one player did struggle on Tuesday.
Liverpool fans are worried about Isak, who, though he did miss pre-season, is still showing very few signs of improving in a Red shirt.
He did not have a shot on target against Inter, and the away outfit’s attack was much improved when he was replaced by the eventual penalty winner, Florian Wirtz.
However, Slot still believes Hugo Ekitike and Isak just need time to form a better connection in the frontline.
He said: “They [Ekitike and Isak] are good players, but it is normal that they need to find a connection together.”
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