Arne Slot can be trying to convey the perfect out of Dominik Szoboszlai this season and he has two options that would do the trick.
For a number of temporary moments in pre-season we noticed the perfect of what Szoboszlai can supply.
The Hungarian scored the opening objective of the Arne Slot period in Liverpool’s first pre-season recreation in opposition to Actual Betis by doing one thing we not often noticed from him final season – making a run contained in the opposition’s penalty space.
Beneath Jurgen Klopp, Szoboszlai confirmed glimpses of what he can do going ahead however was usually decreased to closing the areas round Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mo Salah, reasonably than delivering the lively offensive menace he’s very a lot able to offering.
In opposition to Betis, Liverpool noticed that menace at its finest with Szoboszlai bursting into the field and ending off an opportunity completely orchestrated by Salah.
Talking after the sport, Szoboszlai admitted he wished to make these runs extra usually through the upcoming season.
“Final yr it didn’t occur so usually so I simply all the time let him know I’m all the time able to [make] these runs. Hopefully you’re going to see me [do that] within the season a few occasions,” Szoboszlai informed LFC TV.
It felt like Szoboszlai starting anew and taking part in with extra freedom, however merely a number of days later he was again taking part in in a extra reserved function in opposition to Arsenal.
Slot instructed Szoboszlai to play within the makeshift No. 6 function and whereas the Hungarian impressed and is joyful to play wherever on the pitch for Liverpool, This Is Anfield understands his choice is to play additional ahead.
How Slot needs his midfielders to play
Szoboszlai can be happy to comprehend it’s additionally the place Slot prefers him to play, primarily based on the Dutchman’s choice course of in the previous few weeks.
After taking part in as a holding midfielder in opposition to Arsenal, Szoboszlai was again within the extra superior function in opposition to Sevilla, as soon as once more recording a objective contribution to arrange Luis Diaz‘s second objective of the Reds’ penultimate pre-season recreation.
In opposition to Ipswich in Liverpool’s opening Premier League fixture, Szoboszlai performed the extra superior function and carried out to a excessive commonplace.
He performed a key function in offering a go that deflected into Salah’s path for Liverpool’s second objective of the sport.
General, he created three probabilities within the match which was the joint highest in response to FotMob. He additionally misplaced simply 4 passes of the 43 he tried and seemed threatening, notably within the second-half.
Talking after the sport, Szoboszlai was in good spirits and defined Slot’s huge tactical change intimately.
“Properly we performed in a different way a bit bit,” he informed LFC TV when requested what Slot needs from his midfield.
“As a result of [before] we performed with one No. 6 and two No. 8s, with one of many No. 8s dropping as a No. 6.
“Now we play with one No. 8, one No. 6 and one No. 10, and I had the function of the No. 10, however nonetheless typically I can drop, typically I can keep.
“It’s simply completely different. I feel I’ve extra offensive work with the ball, however with out the ball nonetheless I’ve to do my stuff anyway, similar as final season.”
What this implies is that Szoboszlai is ready to play with extra freedom on the pitch.
Beneath Klopp, he was restricted and infrequently needed to look out for his teammates however Slot has launched that burden and has liberated him to function in areas the place he can maximise his finest qualities – amongst them being his capacity to create probabilities and make an impression within the closing third.
In Szoboszlai’s final season at RB Leipzig, he made 111 shot-creating-actions from open play in all competitions for the membership as per FBref.
This was essentially the most anybody created from open play at Leipzig by an extended distance, with Christopher Nkunku coming second within the statistic with 77.
As compared at Liverpool, Szoboszlai ranked simply fourth within the metric final season (94), with a lot of that having to do with simply how reserved he was at occasions in his No. 8 function.
One other attention-grabbing caveat from the Ipswich recreation is that as per Wyscout,Szoboszlai recorded two or extra via passes in a single recreation simply 4 occasions final season.
At Leipzig in his closing season, Szoboszlai managed the identical output in 14 matches.
These are nonetheless early days but it surely seems like Slot is beginning to perceive the Hungarian’s strengths and in flip Liverpool are lastly getting the perfect model of Szoboszlai – the model followers have been hoping to see constantly since his arrival final summer season.
