Arne Slot had his first likelihood to evaluate his Liverpool squad in a match scenario on Friday when the Reds took on Preston of their opening pre-season pleasant of 2024.
A complete of 25 gamers featured on the day for LFC as they fell to a 1-0 defeat, however the Dutchman would certainly have been happy with the sport as an train in increase health and evaluating his tactical strategy previous to aggressive motion getting underway in 4 weeks’ time.
The Every day Mail’s Merseyside soccer reporter Lewis Steele shared his post-match ideas through X, and amongst a couple of factors of observe, he referenced using a sure Egyptian in a distinct place from the one he normally occupies.
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The journalist stated: “Mo Salah as No 9? Might simply be as there was nobody else to play up high however possibly one to look at.”
However on a critical observe: good to see Stefan Bajcetic get some minutes. Will probably be attention-grabbing to see how he fares after a horror yr with damage.
Sepp van den Berg clearly being handed an enormous likelihood to impress through the low season and taking it to date.
Mo Salah as No 9? Might simply…
— Lewis Steele (@LewisSteele_) July 19, 2024
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As per Transfermarkt, Salah has performed at centre-forward on 33 events for Liverpool, though most of these have been in his first two seasons at Anfield, with solely 4 cases because the finish of the 2020/21 marketing campaign.
Nonetheless, as Steele rightly identified, the 32-year-old was the Reds’ solely senior attacker out there in opposition to Preston, so Slot’s hand was compelled to some extent. Additionally, fixtures comparable to these are the right platform for the sort of experimentation which’d be dangerous within the Premier League or Champions League.
It ought to be famous, too, that the Egyptian now not has the identical searing tempo that he exhibited in his earlier years at LFC and will naturally discover himself drifting additional infield at his age.
With no different senior right-winger within the squad, Salah will possible revert to a large place as soon as the total enjoying choose is again on Merseyside, except the top coach firmly intends to provide Ben Doak a good variety of alternatives in home cups, or off the bench in top-flight and European motion.
Liverpool have 4 extra friendlies as a part of their pre-season programme, which’ll provide additional clues as to the place Slot plans on utilising every participant inside his total setup. It’ll be attention-grabbing to see if our quantity 11 continues to play at centre-forward on the upcoming U.S. tour.
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