Liverpool manager Arne Slot has acknowledged his team's defensive flanks remain a "work in progress" but expressed confidence that summer signings Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez will become key assets for the Reds.
Navigating the Post-Alexander-Arnold Transition
The Dutch head coach admitted his side is still adjusting to life after the influential Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson era, with injuries and disruption hampering the integration of their successors. Conor Bradley has also been affected by the inconsistent availability.
Slot revealed that replacing Alexander-Arnold, who left the club, was far from ideal. "Trent was so important to this club and was very important for me last season," he stated. The recruitment team identified Jeremie Frimpong, signed from Bayer Leverkusen, as a primary target due to his blistering pace, a quality shared with Kerkez, who arrived from Bournemouth.
Pace and Patience: The New Full-Back Blueprint
Slot emphasised that speed is now a non-negotiable attribute for modern full-backs, crucial both for attacking thrust and defensive recovery against the Premier League's rapid wingers. "It is definitely helpful to have them," he said, referencing Frimpong and Kerkez.
The adaptation process, however, has been stuttered. "Unfortunately for them they have not always had the same players in front of them," Slot explained, citing frequent changes due to load management. Despite this, there are positive signs. Frimpong, after overcoming a second hamstring injury this season, has begun to settle, providing assists for Hugo Ekitiké and Ryan Gravenberch in victories over Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Broader Squad Adaptation Underway
Slot's call for patience extends beyond his defensive recruits. He pointed to the gradual improvement of Florian Wirtz, the club's marquee £116m signing from Bayer Leverkusen, who recently scored his first Liverpool goal against Wolves.
The coach sympathised with the off-pitch challenges of moving to a new country, but highlighted the intense physical demands of English football as the biggest hurdle. "The biggest adaptation coming to this league is the intensity," Slot noted, recalling how Wirtz was substituted against Wolves simply because he "couldn't run any more".
With Liverpool now unbeaten in seven matches and climbing to fourth in the Premier League table, Slot believes the entire squad will benefit from greater cohesion. "History has shown many times that the longer players play together the bigger chance you have of winning something," he concluded, while confirming lengthy injury absences for Giovanni Leoni and Alexander Isak.
