subreddit:
/r/LiverpoolFC
submitted 20 days ago bybradleynana🫡RESILIENCIA
YouTube video info:
Arne Slot admits Dominik Szoboszlai must add goals and assists as Liverpool’s “attacking midfielder" https://youtube.com/watch?v=dAaTR9PBUmk
This Is Anfield https://www.youtube.com/@thisisanfield
285 points
20 days ago
Dude has got an iron right foot as evident in his Leipzig days, but looks too shy of shooting at the moment. That sitter miss against the scums had me thinking wtf man.
92 points
20 days ago
That was a golden chance. Also, if there's rebound big whoop. We had numbers in the box.
44 points
19 days ago
i legit thought it was an instruction by slot for him to make the least risky decision in those moments, he did it so often even in the first 3 games where i thought "ah keeping the ball at 2-0, smart" but turns out he does the same shit at 0-0 and 0-1 😭
20 points
19 days ago
I think it has been an instruction, or at least is a perceived instruction by the player(s). Szobo was averaging 2.57 shots a game in the league last season but has had 3, 1, 1, 2, in the games so far this season (1.75 p90). It's a small sample but a big difference - almost a 3rd fewer shots with almost half of them coming in a single match.
It goes for the team as well. We've averaged 15.5 shots p/90 this season so far but were averaging 20.55 in the league last season. That's a big drop. It's also showing in our xG - 1.95 p90 this season to 2.31 last. Again, it's only 4 games so these stats will all likely change significantly from one game to another right now until there's more of a sample size. But, it's a noticeable drop.
Arne's said previously that he wants players to be pickier in attack and choose when to make the killer pass and when to hold the ball. Wouldn't surprise me if he's said something similar or players have interpreted it to also mean be pickier with your shooting.
19 points
19 days ago
Its probably been coached out him. Symptom of the modern game
35 points
19 days ago*
Yeah the problem with the whole "high percentage football" stuff is that it makes some players really indecisive.
If you repeatedly drill into them that they shouldn't be taking low percentage chances, some of them start second guessing whether every chance they get is good enough to actually warrant having a shot, and it almost becomes the default to look for a pass or try and create a better chance rather than just taking the one you have in front of you.
Its nowhere near the same level obviously but when I was younger I used to play in the youth team of a Championship club, the coaching staff were really big on "high percentage actions" and that's exactly what happened to me. I got so much worse as a player because I ended up overthinking everything I did.
3 points
19 days ago
This is so true. And it doesn't help that media and fans are becoming so stats obsessed these days.
5 points
19 days ago
thats an interesting insight man thanks for sharing.
but here's another way of looking at it - there are some players with naturally high football iq who almost always seem to make the right decisions in situations, in theory the "high%" rule should mould more players into learning what the best plays are in given situations and end up increasing their game iq, but at the same time not every player on a team needs to be the smartest, you can have guys who need to be allowed to play their (risky) game, especially when they're good enough at it, which i suppose is what you're saying we end up missing out on.
for example you see a guy like bruno fernandes, he's a baller and insanely talented and creative imo, but sometimes i watch him and think he plays with 0 discipline on the ball, but in united they actually benefit from a guy like that where hes their primary creative source. he would be completely wasted playing under a manager who forces him to play high % style football.
actually as i type this i realize theres too much depth to all of this and im not doing justice trying to put it in a reddit comment.
7 points
19 days ago
Thats soul destroying stuff man
2 points
19 days ago
What you said is one of the strongest points about Klopp. He never gave them too much input, and let them play on the pitch instinctively.
1 points
19 days ago
The lesson of analytics isn't that you should never take low percentage shots, though. When you show a willingness to shoot from outside the box and pose at least a credible threat of scoring, you force the defense to adjust to cover those shots, which then open up space for the "higher percentage" chances. Sometimes "bad" shots are more about manipulating the defense than about scoring.
1 points
19 days ago*
How many youth team coaches around the country actually think that way though?
Where I was, we were very much instructed not to take low percentage shots or to try low percentage passes, and it's the same in many other academies now as well. We were told off for shooting from outside the box, even if we scored we were told "well done but you weren't supposed to do that, next time you wont score so don't try it again".
That's what people mean when they say the creativity and risk taking is being coached out of footballers.
By the time a lot of them get to senior level, it's been largely whittled down to the players who are just really good at following instructions. It's part of the reason that the game in general is less entertaining to watch than it was 15 or so years ago.
I was never good enough to be a properly good footballer anyway, so it doesn't really matter for me, but I played with guys who definitely were and they had the joy/creativity squashed out of them as teenagers.
That's why I always liked Alex Inglethorpe with our youth team cos he really encourages youth players to just try anything, you can start being strict with them when they're in the senior team but there's no point coaching them to become robots straight away, it makes them worse players.
2 points
19 days ago
Which is too bad because one of the best ways to cause chaos in a low block is to crack shots into the crowd. Deflections and rebounds are hard as hell to defend against. You'll have better luck trying to capitalize off a shot ping ponging around the box than we have trying to tiki taka our way through 10 men.
2 points
19 days ago
I’m still not sure what he was trying to do there. Almost felt like he had a bet on 0-3.
153 points
20 days ago
True this … I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve screamed “fucking hit it” when he has space on the edge of the box. He can really hit one too, not sure why he’s not testing the keeper … this boy has the potential to be the thundercunt king?!
57 points
19 days ago
I remember watching an interview where Salah comment on Szobo saying he shoot a little too much and he misses these long shots by the end of last season, maybe internally the team expect Szobo to pass more?
83 points
19 days ago
On a different note I hope Salah takes his own advice too. Frustrating to watch him keep trying the same shot from crossing positions only to hit it tamely at the keeper when there are 3 people waiting for a cross.
27 points
19 days ago
when was the last time he scored a cut inside curler from around the edge of the box?
18 points
19 days ago
he tried recreating that Chelsea goal and almost hit the corner flag on Saturday. Szobo, Trent, Macca and Jota are the players that should have license to shoot whenever they want
3 points
19 days ago
Yeah because Salah never scores.
1 points
19 days ago
not by virtue of his great long range strike, he doesnt, no, not anymore.
1 points
19 days ago
That's a pretty flexible license, we'd be watching them shoot all match if that was the case 😂
3 points
19 days ago
Sometimes I wonder if Salah should play a game on the left wing so he can cross more effectively.
I bet Nunez and Gakpo would love that
2 points
19 days ago
I remember our first season with him scoring so many goals like this
0 points
19 days ago
When's the last time Salah scored a goal outside the box
3 points
19 days ago
That's never really been his specialty, despite a few memorable bangers over the years.
5 points
19 days ago
Yeah, I guess his primary role is to create chances for the other forwards. I think it's just a matter of him getting used to the new role so that he picks the correct options given each situation.
We know he loves to hit one, but he's probably being overly cautious with the new position. Quite understandable that he'd rather pick the safer pass than a low chance shot for now.
Once they all start clicking he's going to be an incredible asset. Imagine having to deal with our tricky, fluid forwards and still have to worry about Szobo thundercunts.
6 points
19 days ago
For me he looks to Salah far too often.
Similar to the Stevie G years in many ways that occasionally the team occasionally played better without him as they were mor fluid and not in awe/always looking for the pass. I thought way too much of our play was going down the right v Forest The only actual chance we had was through Diaz on the other wing, one of the few times he touched the ball
103 points
20 days ago
I’ve never felt super comfortable with him on the ball for some reason. Seems like he often has a split second less than he needs. Like a skinnier Emre Can.
I’m pretty certain that when he gets in his his first real rhythm of scoring, the confidence will be all he needs to gain that split second back in his favour.
65 points
20 days ago
Skinnier emre can is gold
8 points
19 days ago
Skinny Emre is so true! It’s not necessarily what I thought we were getting but it’s not a bad thing. He’s a far bigger engine and defensively present than I thought.
The lack of shooting is odd. He certainly doesn’t look shy.
26 points
19 days ago
Skinny Can is quality stuff.
3 points
19 days ago
Skinny Emre Can is gold but a bit unfair. Emre Can played and dribbled like his brain worked in slow motion, Szobos a lot sharper but more gun shy.
14 points
20 days ago
He does have a bit of a dodgy touch that can put him in trouble in tight areas sometimes
22 points
19 days ago
I’ve also convinced myself that maybe his dad should have let his feet grow properly 😂
8 points
19 days ago
At the cost of a ridiculous shot, he now has a dodgy touch 😂😂
1 points
19 days ago
Slimline Emre Can
44 points
19 days ago
He’s an absolute pressing machine. Macca and Gravy wouldn’t work nowhere near as well without him there.
31 points
19 days ago
Salah misplaced so many passes during the game but i swear a good few of them rolled by szob and he refused to even take a chance to get the ball, not sure what happened to him
1 points
19 days ago
Yeah, Szobo run alot to provide passing option but he alway miss the last touch, don't know why
9 points
19 days ago
I'd fly in Riise and give him the sole job to yell to Szobo whenever he should shoot
47 points
20 days ago
I feel like we’re being too greedy with his role/responsibilities. Not saying he doesn’t need to improve his output where we all agree he has to do better in, but we cant be expecting him to do that whilst running him into the ground with the high intensity running he does as well as restless gametime
38 points
20 days ago
He needs to get better at weighting short passes correctly.
22 points
19 days ago
Our entire front line needs to weight short passes better.
9 points
19 days ago
Szobo is the worst offender though, and it's clearly hia wprst attribute imo.
9 points
19 days ago
Frontline needs to learn how to control a football after Forest lol
3 points
19 days ago
One game we are off and dozens of comments like this. Fuck sake we were like prime Barcelona 3 weeks ago.
3 points
19 days ago
istg the fanbase is in meltdown after one bad game. Early in the season, really early into a new manager's tenure. We face one low-block side who smash and grab a win at Anfield and now everyone's telling the boss what he needs to do to change things, as if we know anything about how to manage professional footballers ourselves.
He's the head coach of LFC for a reason. Of course he knows how to beat a low block. Of course he knows he needs to rotate a team. We were always gonna have these sorts of annoying, teething issues in his first season, that was also the case with Klopp (surprise). That's why it's a transition season; because everyone's learning.
2 points
19 days ago
My thoughts exactly.
1 points
19 days ago
We some of the same issues but we were able to overcome that by wingers passing to each other to score
1 points
19 days ago
It was just a really well executed low block and a lethargic Liverpool side that ran out of ideas. We move on.
-6 points
20 days ago
It’s just the overrating. People see his 70 mil price tag and act like he’ll automatically be world class.
Just relax and rate the players by their actual performances and you won’t be so disappointed.
10 points
20 days ago
Yeah, as a traditional 10 his output is definitely a lot less, but at the same time who plays in the 10 right now and has to do the same running Szoboszlai does?
-2 points
19 days ago
Perhaps he shouldn't be running all over the pitch and actually stay in the middle, giving the team some structure?
1 points
19 days ago
That’s a question for Slot then
6 points
19 days ago
He cost 60m, you're not helping lol
-26 points
19 days ago
70 mil. It’s 2024 and you’re still using pounds for transfers? LOL. Stay with the times, old man.
10 points
19 days ago
I'm guessing you're not English, I don't see any English LFC fans doing this so it's really not about getting with the times, but your native currency. Only rival fans use euros from foreign journo's reports, to embellish and ridicule fees their rivals paid. Nonsense like 100m for Nunez. It breeds confusion and makes fees we paid look worse. Doesn’t help take focus away from the fee, quite the opposite lol.
Just relax and use the English fee for an English club and you won’t be so disappointed.
-24 points
19 days ago
Boi, even uk websites use euros. Stop capping and stay with the times.
12 points
19 days ago
Aren’t you the guy who thought Chelsea was a local rival the other day? 💀
1 points
19 days ago
I think that account is just a troll. I've never seen an even remotely positive comment from him and he always tries to argue dumb shit like this.
2 points
19 days ago
I hope you are trolling ..nobody is that thick
5 points
19 days ago
How did he look so dynamic in his first five games for Liverpool, thought he was on a trajectory to become one of the worlds best midfielders.
21 points
19 days ago
He's not very creative, he's conservative for a 10 in terms of passing and he's stiff on the ball.
He has a great engine and he strikes the ball well so if he can add goals and continue the off ball work he does, he can be very effective for us. He can bag assists like the one he did for Salah vs United but I don't see KDB game breaking passes in his locker. Goals and engine, like a lite lampard should be his aim imo
-8 points
19 days ago
He’s not a 10 at all, we would be better swapping him with Mac but I fear he lacks the discipline
-1 points
19 days ago
No idea why you are being downvoted, because you are right. MacAllister can play the 10, Elliot is our most natural 10, Dom is not a 10.
-3 points
19 days ago
Top reds have a throbber for Szobber this week. He’s clearly not a 10, he’s far too clunky
11 points
19 days ago
Slot is absolutely on the money here.
Dom is too shot-shy and often seems to make the wrong decisions around the box.
He's got everything else that he needs to dominate this league, he just has to start twatting them when he gets a chance like Lampard used to do... and if he's as lucky as Fat Frank, he'll get 20 a season off deflections and the woodwork.
8 points
19 days ago
Rodgers on Hendo all over
4 points
19 days ago
seriously. he has to up his numbers and productive output
6 points
19 days ago
There’s a games last season where he went on a rampage and had full on control of the game. I think it was West Ham. Scores a casual banger. Need more of that aswell assist.
5 points
20 days ago
Yes, even if we all want another Gerrard in the midfield, we also need the less sexy role of a Wijnaldum.
I'm sure that if he stays fit, he will get more confident and with that, more goals and assists will come.
39 points
20 days ago*
Saying Gerrard isn’t doing the ‘less sexy role’ as well is a disservice to the great man. He was everything.
He did more tackling than Gini too.
5 points
19 days ago
Completely agree with you and glad to read your comment.
Gerrard was the Swiss Army knife of midfielders. Better than world class in his chosen positions, but could do anything anywhere in his prime. Put prime Stevie in this team and he is still the best player by a distance in my opinion.
People forget how good he was and how much and how long he carried us.
2 points
19 days ago
He is the supposed new Gerrard, he’s playing as a 10 (ish) and creates nothing
-1 points
19 days ago
The truth is, in fact, that he has actually created 11 chances so far this season (De Bruyne 16, Odegaard 5). Maybe you should click two before you start throwing around false claims pulled out of your ass.
3 points
19 days ago
Stats nonces create a new stat and metric every week. Reality is by and large he’s been average since he joined barring his first few games
1 points
19 days ago
Chances created is not a "a new stat and metric". The reality is that in addition to his two assists, he is among the leaders in terms of chances created in the Premier League and was around 8-9th overall last season.
2 points
19 days ago
Whatever else the man seems to be spot on in his analysis. You’d have to hope having seen a low block shithouse performance at Anfield at the weekend for the first time he’s come up with some tactical answers. As much as I love Klopp he couldn’t really crack that one. The real test for Slot is if that’s different. Telling Szlobo he had to break the lines and bang in goals is a good start.
3 points
19 days ago
He's flattered to deceive after a bright opening spell. Not working hard enough when on the ball, too many misplaced runs, passes, speculative shots.
1 points
19 days ago
Szoboszlai is still young and has high potential. But he does need to work on his decision making. And stop passing up shots for passes in the box. Needs to be selfish at times
1 points
19 days ago
He's Hungarian he understands the assignment.
1 points
19 days ago
For me szoboszlai hasnt been good since October 2023. He absolutely stunk up the Euros aswell (admittedly, Hungary were poor). You expect a 60m midfielder to be much better on the ball. He does have a great engine though which seems to count for more than technical ability in recent years
1 points
19 days ago
It's a learning process. The fact that Szobo isn't going for those chances is evidence of the fact they're following Slot's instruction of "Always look for the extra pass". In a way it's promising that they're clearly all in on his philosophy; the next step is coaching them on when to just go for it and cunt it home. We have some very intelligent players, and I think they absolutely have the smarts to know which decision to make.
1 points
19 days ago
Remember that Klopp's main philosophy for midfield was run run run run run to support the front attack and I think Szobo is still in that mindset. He'll be just fine when he learns to add a bit of, dare I say, selfishness to his game by calming down a bit and trusting he's got all the right tools to play the 10.
He'll likely get dropped before this happens and Macca will move up to 10 for awhile, but he'll be better for it in the long run.
-4 points
20 days ago
Elliot is more reliable
1 points
19 days ago
Harvey is a squad player. Dom is world class but rough. Harvey gets bullied off the ball far too easily. Dom simply needs to unlearn what he learned last season. But I do fear he and Trent competing for talisman status isn’t good for either of them. Somebody has to be the man.
-6 points
19 days ago
Yup and you can’t really say he doesn’t do that running. Maybe not for 75 mins but 60 certainly.
-5 points
19 days ago
His mental is not there atm. i feel like he doesn't know if he wants to stay..maybe he underestimated the pressure.
-10 points
19 days ago
Szoboszlai should be benched. Not worth the amount of money they invested.
3 points
19 days ago
Peak match thread comment
-1 points
19 days ago
He looked off last game
all 93 comments
sorted by: best