Our Liverpool correspondent Paul Gorst answers questions from readers as we head toward the end of the first week of the international break
Our Liverpool correspondent Paul Gorst is on a well-deserved break. But just when he thought he would be able to put his feet up, Mohamed Salah announced he would be leaving the club.
Ever the professional, Paul penned a piece on the legendary forward before eventually closing the laptop. But earlier on in his final day at work, he took the time to answer reading questions.
Given they were submitted before the Salah bombshell, none concerned the Egyptian King. However, the future of head coach Arne Slot, sporting director Richard Hughes, and the return of Alexander Isak were all covered, plus more…
Do you think Arne Slot be sacked before the end of the season? James Mitcham
No, a decision on Arne Slot will be made only after this season ends. The fact that he hasn’t signed a new deal as he approaches the final year of his contract perhaps speaks louder than any public or private backing the head coach is receiving from those who matter at Anfield, though.
But while Champions League qualification remains realistic – and it should, the Reds are clinging on to fifth – Slot will get the chance to finish the job.
How that internal review at the end of the campaign shakes out, however, is open to debate. A variety of factors explain much of Liverpool’s difficulties, and there is sympathy for Slot’s behind-the-scenes predicaments.
But 10 Premier League defeats is a grim statistic and there can be no denying that performances have been largely desperate for months now.
The idea of the Reds dispensing with the Dutchman before the summer is unrealistic. After that, how the review goes is anyone’s guess.
Is there anything in the rumours that Richard Hughes could be heading to Saudi? Tony
Reports of Richard Hughes being on a shortlist to go to Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal have been widespread, but it’s fair to note that claims that the Liverpool sporting director has actually agreed to move have been dismissed at this stage.
Hughes appears to be target for Al Hilal but there is little the Reds can do when it comes to other clubs admiring the work being performed by their employees at Anfield, in any department.
As of last week, Liverpool had not been contacted by Al Hilal over Hughes, who remains close with FSG’s CEO of football, Michael Edwards, who essentially runs the club on a day to day basis.
Hughes dealt with Al Hilal directly last summer when the deal to take Darwin Nunez to Saudi Arabia was arranged and they must have been impressed with how the Reds chief handled those negotiations.
It would be a shame to see Hughes depart, though, given the rebuild the Reds squad will likely need this summer. The Scot has proven he can land big-ticket targets like Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak and the level of player brought in last summer – whatever you think of Liverpool’s overall season – should excite supporters about who might also on the wishlist for the 2026.
Hughes is seemingly in demand in the Middle East but there is still a lot of work to do at the Reds. He hasn’t agreed to leave as things stand.
Do you think Alexander Isak will be starting games when he’s back or will he be mainly used as a sub? Elliott
Arne Slot spoke extensively about Alexander Isak in the embargoed section of his pre-match press conference before the game with Brighton last week.
Slot said he was just as excited as the fans to see the £125m striker back available but did urge caution regarding the level at which he will return after such a terrible injury at Spurs.
It’s been a virtual write-off of a season for Isak given he arrived at Anfield in September and had three international breaks in as many months disrupting time on the training pitches at the AXA Training Centre.
Because Isak’s move from Newcastle United concluded on bitter terms, he lacked a proper pre-season schedule, which has immensely affected his season.
A groin injury in October didn’t help either and then the leg break at Tottenham Hotspur pretty much means supporters will have to wait until next season to see the best of him.
As a result, I don’t see Isak being primed to start many games at the business end of the season, certainly not in April at least. Slot says he will be available soon but he will be used as an impact sub while they try to get him back to as close to 100% as possible. Given he hasn’t kicked a ball since December 20, though, that, sadly, might take some time.
Slot has spoken about the prospect of arranging behind-closed-doors friendlies and playing Isak in the under-21s to get some match fitness into him but he has yet to train with his colleagues and the prospect of him playing in those fixtures to benefit him might even be a few weeks away.
A full and uninterrupted pre-season schedule for the Reds will mean Isak will be much more like his old self next season. Anything else he contributes before then might be considered a bonus.
Genuinely what has he changed in playing style from last year to this year, and why not simply change back? Andy Ellison
Arne Slot would probably argue not a lot has changed from his playing style but the wide forward positions that were so important last season to how Liverpool attacked have yielded very little. Both Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah have had poor seasons and the issue at right-back has been a problem all season.
The change in style in the Premier League has also been a detriment to Liverpool, who struggled to both defend and attacking set-pieces for so long. The more physical nature of the league now too often sees them being bullied and their game plan of slowly growing into games before eventually outworking their opponents and displaying their greater quality has too often been figured out.
Too many late goals conceded, often at times when the structure of the team has been scrambled because of a need to chase a late winner themselves, have been their real undoing. The season would look so much better had those late goals – eight scored after 90 minutes – been stopped at source.
The inability to rectify those obvious shortcomings, however, falls on Slot. He cannot escape criticism for that and the idea that Liverpool are too slow, conservative, and risk-averse in possession is a fair complaint. The inability to create high-value chances with that group of players at his disposal reflects poorly on Slot as a coach.
Why oh why won’t Arne Slot trust the younger players more? Rio (Ngumoha) changes things when he plays, Kieran Morrison has never been given time to prove himself, Trey Nyoni keeps the ball better than most of the starters and poor (Calvin) Ramsay has seen so many midfielders play at right back before him! Paul Smith
Kieran Morrison hasn’t played a single minute in the Premier League and struggled on his senior debut when he was overpowered by the Crystal Palace seniors who knocked Liverpool out of the Carabao Cup in October.
Morrison has had a fine season at academy level with 16 goals but he is not a solution to the problems, particularly given he plays in the same position as one of the greatest players of all time at Anfield in Mohamed Salah. Expecting him to improve the situation is unfair on Morrison, who has been called up to the Northern Ireland squad for this March international break.
The same broadly applies to Calvin Ramsay, who has never started a game in the Premier League for the Reds. Slot has clearly felt he has had better, more suitable options for the problem position this season, including Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones. The ankle injury to Wataru Endo was a cruel blow on his first league start of the season too up at Sunderland earlier this year.
Rio Ngumoha is a different discussion to Ramsay and Morrison and the claims for him to start more have more merit. He has shown he can excite the fans and has a brilliant future ahead of him but Slot and his staff have been careful not to overload the 17-year-old with too many minutes or unfair expectations.
It would be good to see him get a few more starts between now and the end of the season though.
Gakpo is not having a good season. Could you explain why he is the first name on the team sheet when we have (Rio) Ngumoha and (Federico) Chiesa who can play in that position? Both have shown much better form than Gakpo this season. Haraldur Anton
Cody Gakpo has had a desperately poor season and looks so short of confidence and belief but you also have to question if the Netherlands winger became complacent due to the lack of competition for a spot on that left side of the attack?
Only Rio Ngumoha is a serious option for that position and having a relatively untried 17-year-old as your main deputy might naturally lead to that sort of complacency setting in.
Federico Chiesa has shown very little to suggest he would be an upgrade on Gakpo and Florian Wirtz’s best work comes in more central areas. There’s also the injuries to Alexander Isak which has meant Hugo Ekitike has been needed more centrally.
But having said that, as the campaign has wore on, it’s become clear that Ngumoha would provide an extra injection of speed and trickery that Gakpo simply hasn’t been able to this season.
I’d expect a few more outings for Ngumoha between now and the end of the season but Liverpool need to be careful not to overburden someone who doesn’t turn 18 until the end of August.
