Liverpool began their pre-season tour in the USA with a 1-0 victory against Real Betis.
Arne Slot explained that he had to use a makeshift formation for Liverpool’s first game of the pre-season tour in the USA. He assured fans that this lineup is unlikely to be seen when the Premier League season starts next month.
Having taken on the role of head coach in early June, the Dutchman is currently without many first-team players due to their participation in Euro 2024 and the Copa America.
As a result, several key players have been granted extended breaks following their international commitments.
Slot’s era as Anfield manager officially began with a friendly against Real Betis in Pittsburgh.
During this match, he had no senior strikers available because Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo were still on their delayed holidays, and Diogo Jota had only joined the squad the day before the encounter. As a consequence, the Reds’ chief chose to deploy a 4-2-4 formation.
This formation did not include a natural center-forward. Instead, Dominik Szoboszlai and Harvey Elliott operated in No.10 roles. S
Szoboszlai managed to score Liverpool’s only goal in the 34th minute, resulting in an encouraging performance for the team.
The tactical decision sparked debate over whether Slot plans to use a similar strategy when the 2024-25 season kicks off with a trip to Ipswich Town on 17 August.
However, the former Feyenoord supremo dismissed such speculations. In an interview with LFCTV, he clarified his stance.
“We played with a double 10 which we’re not going to do during the season but we don’t have a striker at the moment.
“Both Harvey and Dom are No.10s so they can create in this position. Once we have a centre-forward, we will set up a bit differently.”
Liverpool’s next match is against Premier League rivals Arsenal in Philadelphia, scheduled for Thursday at 00:30 BST.
In other Liverpool news, Liverpool Suffer Double Injury Blow Ahead of Arsenal as Curtis Jones Update Issued After Real Betis Win