Slot needs to drop Liverpool’s no-good players who lost the ball 19x vs Leeds

Liverpool started 2025 with a very entertaining 2-2 draw with Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United.

Another draw was on the menu in 2026, but it was a “tough” affair, as The Athletic’s James Pearce put it, with the final scoreline being 0-0 between Arn Slott’s Reds and Daniel Farke’s Leeds United.

After four wins in all competitions, the lackluster hosts’ just one shot on target in the second half, courtesy of Lucas Perry, was a jolt of reality for the reigning Premier League champions.

Florian Wirtz had hoped to turn things around at Anfield after scoring and assisting him against Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers in December, but once again lacked confidence on the left against a tough Leeds side.

Wirtz’s poor numerical performance

The former Bayer Leverkusen attacker, hailed as “fantastic” by Sky Sports pundit Daniel Sturridge in recent weeks before the game, will have been hoping to start 2026 in the same way he ended a checkered 2025.

Unfortunately for the Anfield crowd, he was back to type as he looked timid in Liverpool’s front area against Leeds, and of the four shots he took into Leeds’ well-defended net, only one actually went on target. One such effort was a great success in the first half.

What’s more, Wirtz was unable to complete a dribble, even though he was able to create a ring around the Timberwolves’ defense and successfully advance forward seven times.

He also missed out on two of his three tackles on the night, but it was a very weak display for a midfielder who needs to start producing consistent performances right away if he is to be considered worthy of his £116m price tag.

It will be interesting to see whether the Dutchman sticks out in the left channel alongside Wirtz after a “surprisingly poor” performance. Codi Gakpo will also be in action the next time the Reds face Fulham.

But this selection issue isn’t the only one weighing on Slott’s mind.

Liverpool star needs to leave after Leeds

Defensively, Slott would have been happy with players like Ibrahima Konate. The often unstable centre-back bravely won all 10 games and helped Alisson keep his 100th clean sheet in the Premier League.

However, the 22-year-old’s 10th Premier League start of the season brought to mind one of his worst performances to date, so there should have been less excitement at Conor Bradley’s performance at right-back.

Like Wirts, the Northern Irishman shone against Rob Edwards’ side, making five tackles and winning a duel to keep the Old Gold at bay.

However, against Leeds, the number 12 was far from brave in this department, winning just 50% of games after the final whistle, and alongside Bradley he continued to make zero challenges against a resolute Whites side.

In addition, Jeremy Frimpong dominated on the right side, constantly darting forward, and only had one successful dribble, while Bradley delivered zero accurate crosses into dangerous areas, so they were not very effective offensively either.

Having given up possession 19 times inadvertently, Slott won’t be confident in continuing to protect the former Bolton Wanderers loanee, and given that Wirtz’s former teammate in the Bundesliga was himself something of a livewire, winning five duels, Frimpong will likely be pushed back to the right-back position against Fulham.

By contrast, both sides of Liverpool were cursed with off-performance performances on the night, with even Wirtz holding the ball slightly better, with the high-profile signing giving away the ball a total of 15 times.

He’ll also collect at least two important passes to get away with the game, but it’s still far from a great performance from the frenetic and ruthless No.7.

Slott will be hoping for a more lively all-round performance from his side during their next trip to Craven Cottage, as he cursed his team’s lack of cutting edge after the game, with both Bradley and Wirtz at risk of being dropped from his starting plans.