Liverpool manager Arne Slot responds during Premier League matches. (Photos Recine/Getty Images)
Liverpool suffered a 2-1 defeat with Newcastle United in today’s English League Cup final.
The goals of Dan Byrne and Alexander Isaac kept Newcastle in the driver’s seat throughout the game. The alternative Federico Chiesa gave Liverpool a faint hope for additional time with well-thought goals.
However, Liverpool was completely out of the game, with outfought and out out thinking, and Newcastle was the right winner.
Liverpool has had some disappointing performances today, but Portugal’s international Diogo Jota continues to be disappointed. His performance in the final may have only sealed his fate at the club.
Diogo Jota did a poor show
The 28-year-old was unable to create a single shot with the target in 57 minutes on the pitch. On top of that, he had just 16 touches at that point. Jota held a horror show with Newcastle. It’s a high time for Liverpool to remove mediocre players like him and bring about reliable progress that can consistently influence the game in the final third.
Not only did Jota be disappointed with his overall offensive performance, he also seemed to lose his sharpness in front of the goal.
It would be ideal for Liverpool to move him during the summer transfer and invest in a clinical goal scorer. They have appeared to have no teeth in the attack for the past few weeks, and Jota has failed to perform despite multiple occasions.
It would be interesting to see if a 28-year-old can find a new club for him in the summer.
The Reds will need extensive surgery on their attacking units if they want to bounce hard. With Mohamed Sarah likely to move forward as a free agent in the summer, the task of rebuilding Liverpool’s offensive units couldn’t have been any more difficult. It is still unclear whether they can remove deadwood and bring about the highest quality alternatives.