22:51, 07 Oct 2025Updated 23:36, 07 Oct 2025<\/p>\n
![\"Alexander](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/0_Galatasaray-v-Liverpool-UEFA-Champions-League-League-Stage-RAMS-Park.jpg\")
Alexander Isak hasn’t had the best start with Liverpool(Image: PA)<\/p>\n
Jamie Carragher has told Arne Slot<\/a> that he must find a way to play Alexander Isak<\/a> and Hugo Ekitike<\/a> together. The Dutchman enjoyed a summer of big spending on Merseyside, as he welcomed a wealth of marquee names to Anfield<\/a>.<\/p>\n As well as strengthening his defence with the acquisitions of Jeremie Frimpong<\/a> and Milos Kerkez<\/a>, Slot convinced the Liverpool board to splash \u00a3116million<\/a> on attacking-midfielder, Florian Wirtz<\/a>, who has failed to justify his price tag thus far. Elsewhere, the Reds snagged Ekitike in a \u00a379m deal<\/a> with Eintracht Frankfurt, and swooped Isak in a \u00a3125m deadline day deal<\/a> with Newcastle United<\/a>.<\/p>\n However, with a strike force jam-packed with talent, Slot has been left with quite the headache with regards to how he fits all of his star players into the same starting XI. While Ekitike can operate on the left-hand side, which would free up space down the middle for Isak, Cody Gakpo<\/a> has been unplayable.<\/p>\n READ MORE: Steven Gerrard points finger at Trent Alexander Arnold over Liverpool exit – ‘What are you doing?’<\/a> OPINION<\/p>\n Meanwhile, deploying two up top also seems unfathomable at present, given just how well Mohamed Salah<\/a> has performed on the right wing. A change in shape is also seemingly out of the question, considering how vital defensive cover from Ryan Gravenberch<\/a> and Dominik Szoboszlai<\/a> has proven this term, leaving very little solution for the brainteaser Slot faces.<\/p>\n However, according to Liverpool legend Carragher, the 47-year-old has to figure out a way of deploying Isak and Ekitike at the same time to get the best out of his current crop. Speaking on The Fan Debate by The Overlap<\/a> this week, he said: “It felt like a Real Madrid<\/a> summer, not a Liverpool summer.<\/p>\n “And there was something about it that…We all love our teams buying players, don’t we? Spending money and big names. But there was something about it that I was a little bit, ‘Oh, it doesn’t feel Liverpool like this, but okay, great. We’re buying, we’re doing this, we’re doing that.’<\/p>\n “And I was thinking on the way because everyone’s had an opinion on, ‘He should play him, he should play him, he should do that.’ Because it’s been a Real Madrid summer in terms of buying big players, does Slot almost need to be like the ultimate Real Madrid manager?<\/p>\n “And I always think of [Carlo] Ancelotti, and I feel like Ancelotti every summer, you’d almost be thinking, ‘What’s he going to do with that?’ Even last season there was, ‘How can he get [Kylian] Mbappe and Vinicius Jr in the same team?’<\/p>\n The third edition of Blood Red \u2013 your new monthly publication from the ECHO covering everything you need to know about what\u2019s happening at Liverpool FC. is on sale now. Order your copy here<\/a> or pick up at participating retailer in the Liverpool area.<\/p>\n “But if you go back to his AC Milan teams or his Real Madrid teams, that was his greatest strength as a manager. He’d find a way, whatever system, and he just he’d get the best players on the pitch where they wanted to play and almost do it for the players rather than…<\/p>\n “I think in this day and age the game’s almost a manager’s got his way of playing. It might be a system. It might be his style and they’ve got to fit into that. It might be a case of actually, you know what, we’ve got to make this work, not so much they’ve got to come into the Liverpool team or the slot idea and and play.<\/p>\n “So we always play under Slot, don’t we, 4-2-3-1?. That might have to change in terms of getting the players in. Because you know, when you’ve spent that sort, you know, type of money on the players. I mentioned about Wirtz maybe coming out the team, but that couldn’t last forever.<\/p>\n “He’s cost over \u00a3100m. You’ve got to try and make that work. So, I’m sort of intrigued how he how he does it going forward, how he gets these players into the team. Because I even think Ekitike and Isak, he’s got to find a way. Find a way.<\/p>\n “You can’t have it every week if Isak starts and he comes on off with 20 minutes to go. You have to find a way where they can play together at some stage.”<\/p>\n Slot now has a two-week international break to tinker with his current system before the Premier League<\/a> returns, with Liverpool set to play host to bitter rivals Manchester United<\/a> in the Northwest derby come Sunday, October 19. And given the Reds have lost three consecutive games to Crystal Palace<\/a>, Galatasaray<\/a> and Chelsea<\/a>, Slot may need to find a way of getting his players back to their best soon if he has any hopes of defending the club’s league title<\/a>.<\/p>\n Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package<\/p>\n This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. 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Ian Doyle<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/0_Blood-Red-coverJPG.jpg\")
Blood Red October issue on sale now<\/p>\n![\"Hugo](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2_Galatasaray-v-Liverpool-UEFA-Champions-League.jpg\")
Hugo Ekitike has impressed with Liverpool(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"Content](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/0_Sky-Factbox.jpg\")
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