Dominik Szoboszlai struggled on the again finish of his debut season and is likely one of the gamers Arne Slot can oversee a change of trajectory for as he brings new concepts to the desk.
The Hungary captain made an instantaneous impression at Anfield, incomes himself comparisons to a legendary No. 8 together with his vitality and thunderous hanging skills.
Because the season progressed, nevertheless, Szoboszlai’s affect waned and the calls for of the Premier League caught up with him – guaranteeing he couldn’t reside as much as his personal expectations.
He admitted in Might, “Maybe I set the bar too excessive as a result of I feel there have been sure matches the place I couldn’t convey out the perfect in myself.”
The problem now then might be to show a nook, and he has Slot to assist with simply that. However how can the Dutchman get the perfect out of the 23-year-old?
Rediscover his mojo
Szoboszlai set the bar extremely excessive in his early days on the membership, he injected contemporary legs right into a midfield that seemed minimize off at its knees the earlier season.
Earlier than 2023 was over, he had 4 targets and two assists and seemed the participant Liverpool had been crying out for, together with his creativity, drive and talent to make issues occur giving the workforce a brand new dimension.
The second half of the marketing campaign, although, noticed him tire from the calls for, battle to bounce again from harm and look half the participant he was from the beginning of the season.
The midfielder ended the marketing campaign beginning simply two of the Reds’ remaining eight fixtures, however he had nonetheless proven sufficient, that there’s extra to come back.
At present on his summer season break after including an extra 417 minutes to his enjoying complete throughout 2023/24 – which concluded with 3,841 for membership and nation mixed – Slot’s first job is to see Szoboszlai rediscover his mojo.
That swagger, the one which gave off the impression he’s untouchable, should return with ample relaxation and downtime, but additionally in a system that performs to his strengths.
Leaning into the No. 10
In his first press convention as Liverpool’s new head coach, Slot refuted the concept he performed a 4-2-3-1 at Feyenoord, as a substitute explaining his philosophy is fluid.
He defined: “I hoped if folks checked out my workforce they’d not say it’s 4-2-3-1 or it’s 4-3-3 or no matter formation you need to name it.
“I hoped they’d say there’s quite a lot of freedom after they have the ball to take it in numerous positions.
“So typically it’s a 4-2-3-1; typically it’s a 4-1-4-1; typically we do construct up with three. So there’s quite a lot of ‘freedom’ when we now have the ball.”
That notion of ‘freedom’ that Slot speaks of is the place Szoboszlai can thrive, in an attacking No. 10 place that leans on his attacking instincts and is extra consistent with his position for Hungary.
At worldwide stage, the midfielder has 5 targets and 4 assists throughout his final 10 outings within the place we’re talking of, which won’t have gone unnoticed by Slot.
Liverpool are usually not quick on No. 10 choices, however pushing the 23-year-old barely ahead would permit him to faucet into his attack-minded recreation, be nearer to objective and nonetheless harness his urgent potential.
“Once we don’t have the ball there’s not a lot freedom,” Slot expanded. “We need to be actually aggressive and there’s just one method, and that’s everyone largely retains his place.”
Szoboszlai might be disciplined, and aggressive and may thrive with the liberty to play his pure recreation, all in a system that encourages creativity and play within the opposition’s half.
Slot’s Feyenoord scored 11 targets within the Eredivisie from excessive turnovers final season – a number one quantity throughout Europe’s high seven leagues – and Szoboszlai might be key in returning related numbers in 2024/25.
Whereas the Dutchman’s model is so much much less chaotic than Jurgen Klopp‘s, preferring a extra methodical method, that he has two deeper midfielders will give the Hungarian a priceless security internet.
We noticed on the again finish of final season that he was careless with the ball, a symptom of his psychological and bodily fatigue, and this can have to be managed by Slot and his workers.
He’ll proceed to be a key cog for Hungary and managing his health and recreation time might be crucial to getting probably the most out of him for a sustained interval, fairly than the burst we noticed final marketing campaign.
However confidence has already been voiced over Slot’s potential to get the perfect out of Szoboszlai.
“He might be higher”
Szoboszlai can have learnt so much from his debut marketing campaign at Anfield and whereas he’ll once more undergo a transition section with Slot, there might be optimism over his new beginnings.
And, apparently, Slot’s former teammate and training colleague, Julian Jenner, backed the 23-year-old to enhance underneath the tutelage of his new head coach.
“I feel he might be even higher than he’s now,” Jenner informed journalist Bence Bocsak. “He’s going to have a coach who likes to play within the opponent’s half and be very inventive.
“He makes a plan for his central defenders and backline and defensive midfielders to play continuously to [the attacking midfielders], the gamers free, clever, and artistic.
“Szoboszlai is a really inventive participant, you’ll be able to see already he takes the Hungarian workforce together with his personal fingers, he does mainly every little thing alone. I feel he might be higher than he’s now.”
Slot has a historical past of enhancing gamers and values his potential to take action, Teun Koopmeiners, Orkun Kokcu, Quinten Timber, Luis Sinisterra and Yankuba Minteh are amongst them.
Szoboszlai has loads of gears nonetheless to go up into and Slot can play an enormous position in seeing him fulfil his potential, and extra, at Liverpool.
