Liverpool’s form is worrying. The Reds have now lost five games in a row in all domestic competitions. Their most recent defeat came against Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup fourth round on Wednesday 29 October.

Arne Slot is facing some pressure at the moment. As the coach who won the Premier League championship last season, Slott has made considerable contributions to the bank. However, if failures continue to mount, stress will eventually intensify. Liverpool’s current state is indeed worrying.

What can be done to improve Liverpool’s form?

A change in formation cannot be ruled out, as Florian Wirtz has struggled to adapt to the role of No. 10 in a 4-2-3-1, and having just one defensive midfielder in a 4-3-3 might be too risky. Therefore, one option for Liverpool might be to use a box midfielder.

The formation can be the less common 4-2-2-2, or the more common 3-2-2-3. The first formation would allow Liverpool to field Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitic up front.

Accommodating the two of them was a challenge for Slot. Isaac has yet to find form for his new club, but Ekitic has performed extremely well.

In addition, adopting a 4-2-2-2 formation also means that Wirtz will have another midfielder next to him who can pass the ball. Therefore, his responsibility is not just to orchestrate the movement of the midfield.

The No. 10 in a 4-2-3-1 formation needs to be quick and direct, just like Kevin De Bruyne at Manchester City. Additionally, Manchester City’s attacking pace is generally slower than Liverpool’s.

Therefore, Wirtz’s slow pace does not suit him as the sole attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Even Dominik Szoboszlai doesn’t like being the number two player. The number 10 player and prefers to play the role of one of the two number 8 players.

Having two defensive midfielders will give them plenty of cover. However, the challenge lies in providing attacking width in a 4-2-2-2 formation, which all depends on the overlap of the full-backs. Jeremie Frimpong and Andy Robertson will have to play key roles in this situation.

Still, adopting a 4-2-2-2 formation means Mohamed Salah will have to operate as an attacking midfielder rather than his preferred right-winger role. This will be a tough challenge for Slaughter and he will have to make a decision.

You may also like: How teams used a back five against Chelsea to expose tactical holes

Salah’s involvement

Liverpool will be able to retain Salah as a right winger through a 3-2-2-3 formation. The box in midfield is still there, giving Wirtz and Dominik Szoboszlai a decent defensive cover behind them.

However, this would require Liverpool to add a centre-back, something they do not have in abundance. This could mean they will have to use Joe Gomez as a third centre-back on a regular basis.

Liverpool haven’t used a back three for a long time, but it might be time for a change. The double defensive midfielder and the three defenders will provide additional guarantees against the opponent’s counterattacks.

However, adopting a 3-2-2-3 formation means they cannot play two players up front and require either Ekitek or Cody Gakpo to play on the left flank.

Whether Slot decides to take some action on this front remains to be seen. The upcoming three games against Aston Villa, Real Madrid and Manchester City could be really tough for his side and any sub-optimal results could further jeopardize his status at the club. Liverpool’s current form needs to improve.

Main photo

Credit: IMAGO/publicity photo

Record date: October 29, 2025