Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has urged one “unbelievable” Reds player to improve in one key area of his game, ahead of the clash with AC Milan.
The Merseysiders are back in Champions League action after a season away from the competition, making the trip to Milan on Tuesday evening.
After the woeful 1-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest last time around, a big response is needed, both from Slot and his players, who all underperformed greatly at Anfield.
Speaking ahead of Liverpool’s first European outing of the season, Slot said he wants to see more end product on show from Dominik Szoboszlai moving forward, even though he is happy with him overall:
“I think all of the squad players I have, they have an important role. He has played all four of them [games] now and every player feels more important when he plays than when he is not playing. But every squad member has his role and during a season all of them will play a lot because we play a lot of games.
“He’s been important for us, especially until now in our work when we don’t have the ball – he has been outstanding in his pressing game. I think something I have to work on with him is that he is also even more involved in scoring goals and creating chances for us because I think last season he scored three [in the league] if I remember correctly.
“For an attacking midfielder at Liverpool his numbers need to go up, but I am really happy with the way he has done until now. I am 100 per cent sure that if he plays in a team with so much quality around him and with the quality he has that he will in the end score more goals as well.”
Our thoughts on Slot’s comments on Szoboszlai…
Slot has a point when it comes to his constructive criticism of Szoboszlai, with the Hungarian such a gifted footballer, but not always delivering killer moments in the final third.
The 24-year-old was particularly bad at home to Forest, continually losing the ball, so there will be pressure on him to improve if he starts in Milan.
Szoboszlai made such an impressive start to life at Liverpool early last season, looking like the Reds’ long-awaited heir to Steven Gerrard in the No.8 shirt, but his influence has waned a little since the winter, even though he remains a key player.
While seven goals and six assists in 49 appearances is no disaster, more is needed from a player of the Hungary star’s ability in an attack-minded midfield role, having been described as “unbelievable” by Jurgen Klopp last season.
