Former Liverpool icon Don Hutchinson has passed his verdict on the fault of Arne Slot and the team after the recent defeat against Chelsea.
After losing two consecutive games against Crystal Palace in the PL and Galatasaray in the UEFA Champions League, the Reds increased the tally with another defeat on Sunday evening.
The FIFA Club World Cup champions opened the scoring at Stamford Bridge with Moises Caicedo’s thunderstrike from the edge of the LFC box that beat Giorgo Mamardashvili between the sticks in the 14th minute.
Even though Cody Gakpo equalised in the 63rd minute, the Merseysiders lost the match in the final minutes of the game after Estevao’s 95th-minute goal to secure a 2-1 victory for the Blues.
The defending PL champions now stand in second place in the PL table with 15 points in seven games, losing the top spot to Arsenal by just one point.
ALSO READ: Liverpool star’s potential move jeopardized due to Leoni injury
Don Hutchinson on Liverpool Vs. Chelsea: Criticism for Arne Slot
Speaking to ESPN FC about the match, Hutchinson said,
“Well, that’s what happens when you make the game into a basketball game — you can score late, you can concede late. When I look at Liverpool and what they’re missing, they’re certainly missing Trent’s passing ability at right back and Luis Diaz, who scored two for Bayern today. He’s a player who takes Liverpool up the pitch.
“But they’ve lost control of games, and that’s the big takeaway from the start of the season up till now. When you watched Arne Slot’s team last year, they would slow the game down and dictate the pace.
“Like Real Madrid tonight, they would pop some five-yard passes around to take the sting out of any threats. That was Liverpool last season — they kept the ball for fun, slowed the game down, were good in transition when needed, scored good goals, and carried a kind of arrogance in a good way — full of confidence.
“Now you’re watching a team that’s clearly lacking confidence. If you had asked Liverpool fans before the game whether they’d take a draw at Stamford Bridge, the answer would probably be yes.
“But I was on call for the Arsenal game today, and they absolutely dominated West Ham in an amazing manner. You watch Liverpool now and think they just need to go back to basics.
“I’ve seen Kerkez, and that’s the difference when you play for a club like Bournemouth versus Liverpool. Last week against Crystal Palace, Kerkez kicked the ball out for a throw-in — you can’t do that when you play for Liverpool; you give up a goal.
“Andy Robertson had his hands on his thighs at the end of the game, totally switched off. I’m not sure if that was tiredness or an injury, but he should have done better.
“You’re watching so many things with Liverpool now — individual mistakes, a lack of confidence, conceding late goals, and not controlling games, which is the main concern. That’s the biggest worry for Arne Slot: how his team have turned every single game into a basketball match.”
However, the former Scottish international-turned-pundit also praised the Dutch tactician’s strategy of bringing on Endo to try and secure a draw at the dying moments of the game.
Despite that, the Reds, with a depleted backline due to Ibrahima Konate’s injury and Conor Bradley’s suspension scare, could not defend their goal, which led to them facing their third consecutive defeat this season.
Hopefully, Slot might find a way out of this defensive nightmare and also a way to dictate on-field play before the big PL clash against arch-nemesis Manchester United on October 19.
ALSO READ: Alexander Isak: Newcastle teammate opens up on Liverpool move