Liverpool's last lap under Jurgen Klopp has seen a detrimental stumble that has allowed Arsenal and Manchester City to take command in the Premier League title race, with hopes of clinching the trophy minute at this point.
To triumph against the odds would take an incredible nosedive in form from both rivals at the final stage, compounding the recent struggles that have seen Liverpool crash out of the FA Cup and the Europa League.
And while the Carabao Cup was clinched back in February, there is an unavoidable, unshakeable sense of poignancy, of regret, surrounding what teased to be a stunning ending, fitting of the dynasty that the 56-year-old created on Merseyside.
Still, Liverpool have rebuilt following the dismal efforts of the 2022/23 campaign and perhaps it's apt timing for Klopp to stand down, relinquish the reins and allow the club to enter its next phase.
Arne Slot is the man to succeed the German, and he will find the complex situation around Mohamed Salah at the forefront of his concerns when he touches down in Liverpool this summer.
Mohamed Salah's recent form
Last summer, with Liverpool losing their place among Europe's elite, Saudi side Al-Ittihad sought to secure a flagship signing by bringing Salah to the Middle East, though their eye-watering £150m advance was rejected by FSG last August.
Salah, who was respectful throughout the process, remained at Liverpool and proved exactly why keeping him in the squad was such a pivotal success, having plundered 24 goals and 13 assists across 41 appearances for the Reds this season.
The Egyptian star ranks among the top 5% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 1% for assists and touches in the attacking penalty area and the top 21% for progressive passes per 90, as per FBref.
He's been the linchpin of a largely excellent campaign, though this recent decline in form has been concurrent with his side's acute nosedive, with Liverpool's wastefulness in front of goal the crux of the slump.
Indeed, the £350k-per-week forward has scored just one goal across his past six Premier League outings, failing to assist a teammate and winning only two matches.
The 31-year-old still has much to offer at the apex of the great game and pointers suggest that he feels remaining at Liverpool, where he has bagged 298 goal contributions from 346 fixtures, notably winning the Premier League and the Champions League, is the best place for his remarkable career.
However, Salah's imperfections have been accentuated following the recent dip, the fatal blip, and now there is a palpable sense that Slot may not view Salah as the fulcrum of his Liverpool attack when the Dutch manager gets to work on English shores.
Slot and his tactical brand have a semblance to that of his Anfield predecessor, Klopp, but there will of course be changes and his thrash-metal style could see the prolific Egyptian lose that unwavering starting berth that has already cracked, a fissure stemming from his decline and seeing Klopp bench him twice in the past four top-flight outings – erupting in a heated touchline row.
Should Salah remain at the club, as is expected at this point, it's unlikely that a high-profile, high-cost replacement will be targeted this summer, but Dominik Szoboszlai could find himself undergoing a tactical alteration…
Why Slot must unleash Szoboszlai at right wing
Few would question that Klopp knew what he was doing when he fashioned Szoboszlai into a deeper-lying midfield position than he might be accustomed to, signing the Hungarian gem from RB Leipzig for £60m last summer.
Turbo-powered, elegant and enterprising, Szoboszlai proved to be a colossal upgrade on Henderson in the centre of the park, even being declared as an "artist" by talent scout Jacek Kulig for his early exploits in the Premier League.
But injuries and an unrelenting schedule have taken their toll on the 23-year-old, who has been one of the most noticeable strugglers throughout the recent period of inconsistency in Liverpool's campaign, starting only one of the Reds' last three league games.
Still, as per Sofascore, over the duration of the Premier League season, the £120k-per-week dynamo has completed 87% of his passes, averaging 1.7 key passes and 5.6 ball recoveries per game.
But this has all been as an operator in the heart of the midfield, a position that is not his natural placement but necessary to charge Klopp's team – the recreation of players such as Gini Wijnaldum in the past further proves this point.
Slot plays with a 4-2-3-1 formation and, as such, will probably not use Szoboszlai at the base of the engine room, where Alexis Mac Allister would thrive alongside a specialist No. 6.
Right winger
24
8
5
Right midfield
8
0
7
Left winger
7
2
1
Attacking midfield
3
0
0
Central midfield
3
0
0
Hailed as a "generational talent" by journalist Marcel Moeller during his career in Germany, Szoboszlai might just find that in a new system, playing a role that better suits his skill set, he rises to a position of prominence and sustains it under the guidance of Slot.
Last year, with Leipzig, he principally played on the right wing, reaping the lion's share of his direct goal contributions through such means. Salah will hope to hold down his long-time Liverpool position but Slot's football demands energy, movement and multi-functionality.
Salah is averaging 0.8 dribbles per game in the Premier League this season, winning 35%, as opposed to 2.2 per fixture during his historic 2017/18 term, succeeding with 63% of his forward forays. Szoboszlai, clearly, offers more energy than that declining aspect of the Egyptian game.
Ranking among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shots taken, the top 4% for progressive carries and the top 5% for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90, the 6 foot 1 player is patently pushing toward his favoured role in and around the final third.
He might not have the elite goalscoring ability of Salah, but this style of play could suit the new regime just perfectly, with Trent Alexander-Arnold spraying passes into the danger area that his Hungarian counterpart can latch onto with penetrative pace and power.
Who knows, perhaps Salah might find himself shaping into a new, more central position, where he can maintain his sharpening playmaking ability – no Premier League player has created more big chances than he this term (21) – and benefit from the robust creative qualities of Szoboszlai.
One thing's for certain, Slot has much to chew on when he arrives at Anfield, tasked with leading Liverpool to more glory after the brightest period in generations.
Liverpool hit the jackpot on £75m "legend" who was better than Salah
Anfield enjoyed one of its ultimate blinders by bringing this phenom to Merseyside.
ByAngus Sinclair Apr 30, 2024