Liverpool star gives Arne Slot hope after BOMBSHELL result

For many Liverpool fans right now, it is difficult to understand how the team is performing.

Before the season started, you felt like a lot of the team’s weaknesses had been addressed through summer recruiting. Big-name players had been signed and a notable amount of money had been spent on the rebuild. Our recent struggles were unimaginable.

In the first few weeks, you could understand that there were some teething problems. After all, there were a lot of team changes. Cohesion was going to take some time and Alexander Isak, for example, needed to spend time improving his fitness after a summer without training.

But having now seen four defeats in a row, with the latest defeat against rivals Manchester United (their first win at Anfield since 2016), is a clear sign that something is not right. Despite all the credit he has in the bank, Arne Slot is going to feel the pressure. Is his team now.

The 90 minutes were tough, although buried under the rubble, there was at least one positive.

Konate offers a master class

To say that the Frenchman was impeccable would be a mistake, but Ibrahima Konate really managed to mark where his usual performance standards should be this season. In general, it has been difficult for him to find his level in this campaign, although we all know that he is capable of more.

Against United on Sunday, he had eight clearances, four recoveries, 2/2 ground duels, 6/9 aerial duels, one big chance created and one key pass made, as well as three accurate long balls. It was extraordinary to see him overcome his poor form and find the fluidity we are used to seeing from him.

Of course, the performance came in a losing effort and he still has a lot to work on: he went 0/2 in the tackles he made and lost possession 11 times, which left us quite open.

However, given that one of the headlines for Liverpool’s defensive problems was the Frenchman’s form, it is very pleasing to know that we are gradually improving. It’s not as gloomy as you think.

And it’s the context behind Konate’s performance that makes it even more impressive. This time last week, we weren’t convinced he would even make it to Anfield this week, given he joined the French squad with a suspected thigh injury following the defeat to Chelsea.

He did not feature in his country’s match against Azerbaijan before Didier Deschamps sent him back to Merseyside instead of traveling with the team to Iceland. There was no update on his overall fitness until Slot’s press conference on Friday, when he was given a clean bill of health.

Two pain-free sessions before the weekend meant he was fit enough to feature in the starting XI, but knowing that he played the full 90 minutes, it is remarkable that he played as well as he did.

In the coming weeks, we could see Joe Gomez a little more involved if Konate’s fitness is lower as a result of such a heated battle with United. Overdoing it and increasing the likelihood of thigh pain again would be a disaster, although cautious optimism seems reasonable.

In all other sectors, Slot will be affected, and rightly so. None of the performances this season have been really convincing. Until they do, the pressure and speculation will only get worse.

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