Liverpool boss Arne Slot makes unimaginable squad determination that reveals what is going to occur in switch window
Liverpool have had only 20 different starters in the Premier League this season – and just 10 players have taken up 76% of all those roles under Arne Slot
Liverpool’s domination of the Premier League boils down to their consistent performances.
Arne Slot’s crew has just faced brief wobbles as they’ve shot ahead with a whopping 13-point lead. Their near-flawless form, two losses in 32 matches, screams about the top-notch performances they’ve consistently nailed this season.
Once more, credit’s due to Slot walking into an outfit that had been gelling for a year under former boss Jurgen Klopp. That continuity was hardly disrupted with only Federico Chiesa joining during summer while those who left weren’t pivotal in Klopp’s last lap, reports the Liverpool Echo. There’s been a shift, however, where Slot stands apart from Klopp, he’s not big on switching up his team.
“My former teams we were able to actually play almost every game with the same players but it is a different league so I might have to adjust to that,” Slot admitted last September.
However, one of the most intriguing aspects of Liverpool’s season is that neither Chiesa, Wataru Endo nor Harvey Elliott have started a league match under Slot, despite racking up 31 starts between them last season.
Young guns Tyler Morton, James McConnell, Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha have all had a run out in cup games but haven’t seen Premier League action this term. Meanwhile, goalie Vitezslav Jaros and striker Jayden Danns have only had a smattering of minutes on the pitch.
The Reds’ reliance on a select group of players becomes even more apparent when you delve into the stats. Conor Bradley’s start against West Ham United at the weekend marked only his third Premier League appearance this season, while for Kostas Tsimikas it was his sixth.
Jarell Quansah has had just one since the opening round of fixtures, Joe Gomez six and Darwin Nunez a mere eight.
Incredibly, a whopping 76% of all of Liverpool’s starting roles in the Premier League this season have been filled by just 10 players.
With six matches left to play, the Reds have fielded 20 different starters in the top-flight this season. Only once before have they used fewer in the Premier League era, when 19 players got a start in the 1995/96 season.
Back then, squads were smaller with only three subs allowed instead of the current nine. The record number of starters is 27, which has occurred thee times.
While Liverpool haven’t faced the same level of injury issues as Tottenham and Manchester City, it’s incorrect to say it’s been smooth sailing.
They’ve had to cope without their first-choice goalkeeper for several months, their primary striker for a similar period, a crucial centre-back for six weeks, and a series of right-backs that left them without any for the League Cup final.
Naturally, if Liverpool secure the title quickly, there could be opportunities in the remaining weeks for players like Elliott, Chiesa, and Endo to start.
With Slot poised for a summer recruitment drive to shape his own vision, he is unlikely to depend so heavily on such a relatively small group of players again. For numerous reasons, this season continues to be unique for Liverpool.
