The Reason Mohamed Salah's Defence Duties Is Becoming a 'Small Problem' for Liverpool

It appears that the Egyptian star's limited defensive work is emerging as a minor issue for Liverpool, especially when facing stronger teams.

I can fully grasp if coach Arne Slot has instructed Salah not to track back, because staying high on the right side during transitions has made him one of the world's most dangerous strikers.

However, the players in support are not providing adequate defensive support, causing numerous issues for anyone has been at right-back in recent matches.

Whether it's Conor Bradley or another player, they often find themselves in difficulty due to dealing with a numerical disadvantage on that flank.

It proved a noticeable vulnerability on Saturday, leading to the opponent's winning goal – and the worry is that other sides will intelligently target this same area.

{'Salah Has Freedom to Skip Defensive Duties'

First of all, I doubt that Slot is telling the attacker to track back and assist his defender.

Should he had been instructed to mark Chelsea's defender Marc Cucurella, then this was extremely obvious he did not comply, and Slot would not tolerate that.

Instead, the manager is allowing Salah the liberty to focus solely on attacking play, which is fine – there are numerous examples of other teams adopting similar approaches, with players who choose to save their stamina for attacking moves.

Yes, there are still certain moments in a game when you are conceding chances and you might feel compelled to track back.

I know he can do it, because when they triumphed at Manchester City previously, his work rate was among the best observed from him.

However, he must have been instructed to perform that role on that occasion, which is why I am not criticizing him if he is asked to stay forward.

'The Main Issue Is How Liverpool Are Set Up Behind Salah'

The issue with his role is more about how Liverpool set up behind him, particularly when playing stronger opponents.

The other teammates must offer more and quicker help, as it felt like Chelsea were moving the ball forward and subsequently switching it to their left, because that's where the gap existed.

If a their central player went out too late – be it Alexis Mac Allister – then he left openings in the middle ahead of the back line because they were missing a man from the midfield.

All this becomes less critical when facing teams that they control possession against – evidenced by Liverpool previous success using such tactics – but they need to tighten up because the elite teams will capitalize.

'Liverpool Have Lost Command of Matches'

It isn't as if he has changed his role recently, but since he is failing to find the net in attack, perhaps the defensive aspect of his performance is more noticeable.

I am not overly worried about his current performance, as he will return to form – he always does – in terms of his finishing.

He found some excellent situations against Chelsea but perhaps shot when he could have assisted, and vice versa, but those opportunities will keep coming and the scores will follow.

My main concern with Liverpool at the moment is their lack of control in games compared to last season.

This has been a frustrating week for them, of course, not only to suffer three matches in a row in the Premier League and Champions League but as the performance levels have not been what we expect.

There are mitigating factors, of course, with all the personnel changes in the summer and the several of players who missed pre-season, but previously the manager's side appeared very good at controlling matches and that is no longer the case.

It felt like their organization was sound, and his more possession-based approach brought greater command.

It was an aspect that observers immediately saw he had introduced to the team, compared to what it was like under the former coach.

Now, however, observing them and it looks somewhat chaotic. The last half-hour of the recent game was so frenetic it felt like a knockout game – they had chances to win it, but gave away several chances too, which is why they ultimately defeated.

{How Can The Manager Address Liverpool Problems?

We can identify a few aspects that are off about Liverpool, and repeatedly notice them giving the ball away, but this is not an unresolvable scenario.

Even though Liverpool have several new additions – and different types too – they should not need to alter their playing style. They just need to get back to being slightly more patient and calm.

The positive news is they are only one point behind table-toppers Arsenal and have opportunity to fix the issues that are underperforming.

The physical element they are missing will improve because the players who missed a proper pre-season, like midfielders and defenders, will reach peak fitness shortly.

Building proper understanding on the pitch requires patience too, be it between the defender and Salah or additional key combinations.

So, there is no reason to overreact. It feels like at the moment in the Premier League, and not just with Liverpool but with all teams, you are only one week away from 'crisis' and scrutiny.

The reality is the recent results to them recently will probably occur at some point to Arsenal and rivals as well.

I didn't previously thought City would be in the title race, but if their star striker stays motivated and healthy they will be in contention.

Arsenal, defensively, look excellent again and, overall, after several matches they appear very comfortable in what they are doing across the pitch – it seems a continuation of their previous form, with an extra dose of talent and depth.

With Liverpool it feels like more of a transition at present. But while there is still work to do for them to establish the optimal equilibrium and partnerships, it is expected everyone is anticipating them to progress as the season unfolds.