Drop the Hype: Slot Must Bench Kerkez to Stop Liverpool’s Slide

Liverpool’s season has skid marks all over it, and the latest is a 4-1 humbling at Anfield to PSV. Nine defeats in the last 12 across all comps, one win in seven in the league, and their worst run in 71 years – that’s not a blip, that’s a full-blown crisis. Twelfth in the table, behind Everton on goal difference and 11 off Arsenal, the defending champions look miles away from themselves.

Arne Slot looks a haunted man right now. He’s juggling big fees and bigger egos, yet the blend isn’t there. Alexander Isak was left on the bench against PSV, Florian Wirtz was sidelined through injury, and the on-pitch chemistry with Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah and Hugo Ekitike still looks like a work in progress rather than a title-chasing front line.

It’s the back line that’s breaking Liverpool

Forget the front five for a second: it’s the defensive frailty that’s killing them. Twenty conceded in 12 Premier League games and eight in five in Europe is relegation-zone stuff, not a champion’s profile. Only the bottom four have shipped more domestically, and they’re bottom half for goals against in the Champions League too. That’s a system creaking and individuals cracking.

Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté have been the ever-presents, with Milos Kerkez starting 10 of 12 league games. But PSV ruthlessly exposed Liverpool’s soft centre. Kerkez was statuesque as Guus Til tucked PSV back in front, and Konaté’s lapse handed Ricardo Pepi the freedom of Merseyside for their third. You can debate structure all you like; those are errors you simply cannot absorb at this level.

Robertson in, Kerkez out – no ifs, no buts

This cannot be a sentimental call: Slot must start Andy Robertson at West Ham and park Kerkez on the bench. The summer signing was talked up as ‘world class’ last season, but the Premier League is giving him a harsh reality check. Slot has already hooked him mid-game more than once; that tells you the manager knows the left side isn’t secure. Jarrod Bowen will feast on slow feet and poor body shape if Liverpool offer him the same space he saw against PSV.

Robertson brings leadership, angles, and tempo – the boring, match-saving details. He balances the back four, allows the midfield to squeeze up, and gives Salah his favourite overlapping option. It’s the sensible selection, and it shouldn’t be a debate.

Konaté conundrum – and why Slot should still be brave

Here’s the headache: who partners Van Dijk if Konaté sits? Ryan Gravenberch has been an emergency stand-in late on during recent chases, but that’s a plaster, not a cure. Missing out on Marc Guéhi on deadline day looms large now, and while Joe Gomez doesn’t fill everyone with confidence, he’s a bona fide centre-half who can at least give you a cleaner starting position and fewer brain fades than we’ve seen lately.

If Slot wants insurance, a back three with Robertson tucking in and Kerkez out of the firing line is an option, but that risks more moving parts when simplicity is needed. The bold, grown-up decision? Start Robertson, pair Van Dijk with Gomez, and lower the defensive line a few yards to stop the balls slid in behind. Protect your centre, protect your job.

Tactics and temperament: the reset Liverpool need

Short-term fixes can be simple. Compact the spaces between lines, get Trent Alexander-Arnold’s starting positions right in transition, and take the chaos out of restarts – too many set-pieces are being defended on hope, not detail. Up top, choose synergy over star power until Wirtz is fit and Isak finds rhythm; Salah plus one runner and one link player is enough to be dangerous without exposing the back door.

None of this excuses recruitment. The summer splurge looks scattergun, and the squad balance is off. But managers live and die on selection, and Saturday at West Ham is a selection game. Drop Kerkez. Think hard on Konaté. Start Robertson. Keep it compact. Then earn the right to play.

For those weighing up the odds on what comes next for Liverpool, here’s where to compare the best betting sites before West Ham on 30 November. But remember: this one will be won or lost on Slot’s team sheet, not the touchline speeches.