4 consecutive defeats sound the alarm? Slott only needs "three fires" to save Liverpool

With four consecutive losses in all competitions and the first loss to Manchester United at home in the past decade, Liverpool's alarm bell should be ringing. The season has just begun, but Liverpool is already 4 points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, who easily won the title last season. The last time Liverpool suffered four consecutive defeats dates back to 2014 when Rodgers was in charge. If they lose another game, it will be the first time since September 1953 that the Red Army has suffered five consecutive defeats. More worrying than the result is the fact that Liverpool's performances this season have been in tatters.

This summer, Liverpool spent nearly 450 million pounds on signings, and it was expected that the new signings would need to get used to each other. But high-priced new signings such as Isaac and Wirtz have yet to pay off, and Slaughter's team looks chaotic, unbalanced, and nothing like the "precision machine" that won the championship easily last season. In the next 20 days, Liverpool has 6 games to play. Slott does not have much time to think deeply, but because of this, he must get the team back on track as soon as possible.

The offensive end needs to be bolder

Replacing Salah when the team urgently needs to equalize the score is an unusual scene for Liverpool fans. The Egyptian striker has repeatedly stepped up at critical moments during his time at Anfield, and he also scored key goals to help the team win the championship last season. But now, at the age of 33, he has failed to score in open play in 7 consecutive league games, setting the worst record in his Liverpool career. He was almost invisible again against Manchester United on Sunday.

Part of the reason for the introduction of Wirtz and Isaac in the summer window is to prepare for the "post-Salah era", but maybe this moment will come sooner than expected. "I think we've reached a stage now where Salah shouldn't automatically start every week anymore," Carragher said on Gary Neville's Podcast. "It's a real problem for the manager. At home he should start because Liverpool will suppress the opposition and he can score in those conditions. But away from home, he needs to start. When the winger is required to return to defense, I don't think he should start every game, especially considering his current state."

Ekitic scored 3 goals in the first 5 league rounds, but has not started since then; Chiesa has been active this season and participated in scoring again after coming off the bench against Manchester United. Sloter has never had such a wealth of offensive options, but he must be bolder in using them, even if it offends people.

Let the "nervous" Kolquez temporarily leave the starting lineup

This summer, when Kolquez joined Liverpool from Bournemouth for 40 million pounds, it was regarded as a value-for-money deal. The Hungary international's all-round performances for the Cherries were impressive, but he didn't show that level of quality at Liverpool. There was no tacit understanding between him and Van Dijk, and Manchester United repeatedly used the combination of Amad Diallo and Mbeumo to attack Liverpool's left flank.

"Korquez was very nervous, he was like a frightened bird on the court," Redknapp said during halftime commentary on Sky Sports. "The pace of the game was too fast for him, and Diallo made him suffer."

At only 21 years old, ups and downs in performance may be expected, but since joining Liverpool in 12 games, this full-back who is good at attacking has 0 goals and 0 assists so far. But if there is another sluggish performance, the doubts will be even greater. Robertson is still in the Liverpool squad, but has only started two games this season. Perhaps now is the time to bring back the experienced Scotland captain and allow Kolkerz to step away from the spotlight for a while and rediscover himself.

Don't overreact

Despite the troubles and inconsistent performances, it's worth pointing out that Liverpool could have had a completely different result. Manchester United's opening goal was controversial and might have been invalidated in other games. The opportunities created by Liverpool on the offensive end were enough to win the game - Gakpo hit the post three times and missed the header from 6 yards. His personal expected goals (xG) was as high as 1.47, surpassing Manchester United's entire team (1.37). Coupled with the last-minute wins by Chelsea and Crystal Palace, the defending champion obviously lacked some luck.

This is partly due to Slott's more open tactical style this season, but it is far from the point of reinventing the wheel. Slaughter's job is to make sure the team doesn't always have bad luck. Better yet, find balance and tweaks that bring them closer to the team they were last season that required little to no luck.

Slott has the ability, and Liverpool is also full of talents. All they have to do is adjust their mentality and find a suitable starting lineup. Of course, the Premier League is ruthless. Rival Arsenal has shown no sign of letting up so far. The defending champion must not fall too far behind at the beginning of the season. Liverpool must find its form as soon as possible.