Slott can unleash Liverpool’s 19-year-old star to repair the blows of Konate and Leoni

Liverpool have a lot to sort out in the coming weeks.

Perhaps it is a measure of the club’s reputation and the expectations that come with their football that the three consecutive defeats were met with such excitement from the outside and disappointment from within.

However, Liverpool sit just one point behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, with Arne Slott proving his ability to overcome obstacles and build a formidable system when he led the Reds to the title last season.

But after spending so much money, the scrutiny will be on Anfield’s side.

The players will no doubt be reprimanded for their error-filled performances, which has been a consistent issue throughout the season, but there is no doubt that the system needs more focus.

Defense in particular has been a pressure point for the team this season and all is not well in Virgil van Dijk’s area.

Current state of Liverpool’s defense

Everything is not correct. Liverpool, who lost their balance and confidence at the back, continued to make mistakes. The epicenter of this is Ibrahima Konate, whose contract expires at the end of this season and who is wanted by Real Madrid. Following the France international’s performance, Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher described him as “absolutely shocking”.

And Van Dijk is not infallible. The legendary Dutchman turned 34 this summer and, while still a monster as Liverpool’s captain and defensive leader, flattered and deceived against Chelsea, GOAL wrote about his shortcomings during the Blues’ second goal, giving him a 4/10 match rating.

Leoni’s long-term injury is brutal. With Liverpool’s centre-half options already limited after FSG failed in their late bid to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace, the young Italian might have had a fair chance to impress.

The central defensive line in the slot is currently a little weak, and rumors are already flying around, with Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck emerging as a target. However, Sky Germany later put a damper on that budding story as interest in Bayern Munich increased.

While there is still hope for Liverpool’s interest in Guehi, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, many feel that January reinforcements are needed if the team is to compete for silver with a variety of shots.

Well, Liverpool may indeed have a star academy player who has the quality and confidence to perform at the top level this season and is eyeing a first-team spot at Anfield.

Liverpool teen who can fix Konate and Leoni’s blows

Last season, Slott showed his desire to promote young players at Liverpool when he released teenage defender Amara Naro in the Champions League. However, Naro suffered a nightmare senior injury when he was sent off in the defeat against PSV Eindhoven.

Naro hasn’t featured since then, but in Welty Lackey Liverpool may find another up-and-coming talent who can earn a keep in the slot system this season.

Lackey, 19, is a key member of Rob Page’s Under-21 side and has captained the team once this season. No doubt, the youngster believes he can emulate his compatriot, who saw Jarrell Quansah’s own rise from the Reds’ academy and currently plays for Bayer Leverkusen in Germany.

Spanish-born Lackey has been capped by England Under-16s, but is open to any nationality as his career progresses. He left Real Zaragoza’s youth organization to sign for Liverpool at the age of 13 and has since made 27 appearances for the Under-18s and 28 for the Under-21s.

Journalist Bence Boksack has already singled out and praised the player, who he rates “highly”, commenting that he was “calm on the ball” and had the highest pass success rate of any Liverpool Under-21 player last season.

The rising star only signed a new three-year contract with the club this summer and is expected to earn minutes at the highest level through hard work and continued promising performances.

It was this week that Lackey stood out for the Under-21s, who lost 2-0 to Crewe Alexandra in the EFL Trophy. Although he lost, he put in an impressive performance at the back, which may have caught Slot’s attention.

What’s particularly interesting is that Lackey won all six of his ground fights, underscoring his natural poise and timing. Furthermore, his crisp possession play was on full display, with 94% of his passes completed against their League Two opponents.

These all point to a potential future in advanced slot setups. Liverpool have perhaps reached the point where they need a left-field solution to carry the club through to the end of the season, and Jurgen Klopp’s success with the aforementioned Quansah highlights the benefits that can be gained from adding young talent to the squad when senior alternative options have been exhausted.

Konate picked up a slight injury in the game against Chelsea the week before last and returned home early from this month’s match with France, meaning Joe Gomez could be called up for the next Premier League game against Manchester United.

Gomez is a seasoned pro, but what about on the bench? Might Mr. Lucky find himself sitting among his older peers? Sure, throwing him into the deep end would be a big risk, but the underlying stats on this teenager and the noise surrounding his name suggest he just might provide the depth and quality needed throughout the campaign and perhaps beyond.