Arne Slot told to give 'massive talent' run in Liverpool team amid Dominik Szoboszlai experiment

Arne Slot

Former Liverpool defender Markus Babbel has implored Arne Slot to stop playing Dominik Szoboszlai at full-back — and instead give Conor Bradley a sustained run of starts.

Jeremie Frimpong was brought in from Bayer Leverkusen this summer for a fee of around $39 million (£29 million) but Babbel says he is still getting used to the demands of the Premier League. Bradley, he says, is the more ready-made solution.

Babbel

"It's similar to with Florian Wirtz: Frimpong needs a bit of time," Babbel tells Liverpool.com.

"The Premier League is a different style of football. It is so much more intense and you have so many more good players on the pitch. You have to learn it.

"After maybe seven, eight, 10 games — you have to be there and learn quickly. But it isn't working at the moment, otherwise you have with Bradley a massive talent in this position.

"I don't understand why he is always the player who has to go out and then Szoboszlai goes to right-back. I'm not sure if you are helping the young one to get confidence and become a better player.

"Bradley has so much potential and he brings so many things — let him play. Give him four, five, six games in a row because he also has to learn Premier Leaguefootball.

"If you think he is not good enough then you have to bring in Frimpong, but I'm not a fan of Szoboszlai playing there. He is a top midfield player and if he is better than Wirtz, then he has to play there."

Szoboszlai has been so good that he has forced his way into the starting XI for almost every game. But Babbel says Slot has to make some tough choices to find the right balance in the team.

Babbel says

"Sit Wirtz on the bench if Szoboszlai is better. If Wirtz is better, then Szoboszlai has to go on the bench,"

"But don't put him in that position, and I think he's not happy to play that position.

"At the moment, I would go with Bradley. He knows the Premier League. He is from the country and I would take him.

"You have specialists in that position and if I was sitting on the bench as a right-back and Szoboszlai was playing my position, I would be so angry.

“I would say, 'What's wrong with the manager? He's playing in my position'.

"It makes not a good atmosphere in the team because everyone is struggling. Everyone is not full of confidence."

Bradley is not the only good option that Liverpool has. In time, the hope is that there can be a genuine battle between the academy graduate and Frimpong.

Babbel

"The problem for Frimpong is that Leverkusen always plays with three at the back,"

"He was on the wing — he's not the best right-back in the world but he can also play on the wing, there you have Mo Salah.

"Give him time. We saw it against Manchester Unitedwhen it was a top cross for Cody Gakpo and he has to score. This is what Frimpong can do and with time, he will play better.

"He can play on the wing, and especially at the moment, you see Mo Salah is not in his best form.

“It is good for the manager to have a guy who can also play there. At the moment, Frimpong is more dangerous."

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