Arne Slot likes a settled 11 but needs to master the art of rotation at Liverpool

Arne Slot hopes to add to record-breaking start Liverpool The manager was shaken by defeat at the weekend but achieved something that has never happened under Jurgen Klopp.

By determining a constant team Defeat against Nottingham Foresthave been left with a number of players who look lethargic and uncoordinated after a gruelling series of international fixtures. Apart from Ibrahima Konate, the other 10 starting players have taken to the pitch twice for their countries Premier League Judging by what happened in the Liverpool games and the Forest game, a few changes could have added a spark to a performance that was ultimately lacking.

Klopp hasn’t gotten every team selection right in his nine seasons in charge, but he has never fielded the same starting XI in the matches immediately before and after an international break – but Slot did so at the first time of asking.

Also when Klopp made the mistake of playing the Argentine midfielder Alexis MacAllister away in the game Wolverhampton Travelers this time last year, then I had to take him out of the game at halftime. He had learned a lesson for not being able to keep up with the game.

The manager has taken a closer look at the physical and mental state of his South American players during subsequent international breaks and finished the 2023-24 season with 10 points from a possible 12 in the matches played immediately after the break. He made an average of 2.5 changes per game last season and has been consistent in mixing his team, although that figure has varied over nine years.

Slot must now learn from Saturday and find the formula to get back to winning ways. His biggest challenge is managing the squad effectively during this condensed period of seven matches in 22 days, and he has to take into account how devastating the next set of international fixtures could be for his players.

Changes are being made for tonight’s match at San Siro Milan It feels important now. With international breaks again in October and November, it will be interesting to see whether he takes a different approach or sticks to these early patterns.

Granted, it’s a small sample size, but Slot has only made one change to his starting 11 so far in the Premier League, and history suggests he’s not known for constant tweaking. At Feyenoord he relied on his performances and the information coming from the medical team He was able to choose based on fitness and energy levels and in turn, he was able to choose from a squad that had a 95 per cent availability rate for two years.

Last season, they were the second team to use the fewest players throughout the season (25) and Feyenoord were also 11th in terms of total changes to their starting 11; a figure that has influenced their thinking this summer.

Asked about his general approach ahead of the Forest game, he replied: “My previous teams… we were able to play almost every game with the same players, but this is a different league. I may have to adapt to that.”

As Liverpool shape their squad following his arrival, the head coach has made it clear that he is happy to work with a reduced but tight-knit group. Slot feels that the benefits of a relatively small squad of 23 senior players and a talented group of youngsters will be greater than trying to manage a larger group.

Liverpool have a very good squad in some positions, but as the squad depth chart shows, there are weaknesses, particularly in midfield and centre-back, where Slot may have to turn to a relatively inexperienced young player due to injuries or suspensions.

It doesn’t look like he has many new options to turn to from the bench over the weekend. Cody Gakpo, Connor Bradley, Kostas Tsimikas And Jarell Quansah They also played two fixtures against their home country, either their senior or age-group teams. One injury Harvey Elliot also left out a player who was an influential player last season but should clearly be ignored Darwin NunezHaving missed the long trip to Uruguay due to his suspension and being in form, it felt like a missed opportunity.

Maybe Curtis Jones could give the midfield a bite that was missing or a more consistent passing option to MacAllister and Dominic SzoboszlaiHe looked surprisingly tired and made more passing errors than he had in the previous three games.

Slot, however, downplayed the importance of not rotating in the defeat to Forest when asked about the significance of the move at his press conference ahead of Tuesday’s clash with Milan.

“Ultimately, if you can’t win, you try to look at as many arguments as you can,” he said. “I ask myself, ‘Does it have anything to do with (the rotation)?’

“But I prefer to look at what we did well and what we didn’t do well. I think there are a lot of things we could do better that aren’t rotation-related.

“A lot of players weren’t able to reach their normal levels. Not just starters, but also starters. In my opinion, it had a lot to do with the opponent’s style of play, which made things really difficult for us.”

The championship cannot be won before Christmas but it can easily be lost and Manchester CityWhile there has been no drop in form, Liverpool know that every mistake is a major setback.

Return Champions League It is an added challenge for a squad that eventually ran out of steam despite playing in lower positions in the final months of last season. Europa League. Federico Chiesa, only new additionHe trained with the team and can play for the first time. His impact will come as a support in due time.

Liverpool head into Tuesday’s match with a win over the weekend, but the outlook looks very different in defeat. Slot has yet to face the challenge of winning every week in his managerial career, but now he is tasked with turning the tide.

He is also not used to playing so many games in such a short space of time. Feyenoord finished the season with 45 total games as they defended their title last season and moved up a level in the Champions League. The lack of a third domestic cup competition was a factor in that figure. Compare that to Liverpool, who have played 58 games and are looking forward to playing more this season, and the difference is clear.

Getting your team selection right in the coming weeks could make the difference in whether a steady start turns into a great one.

(Top photo: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)