Arne Slot makes winger transfer claim amid Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo Liverpool struggles

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Arne Slot has made a significant claim about wingers ahead of Liverpool's FA Cup showdown with Wolves on Friday eveningFrom a slow start, the hesitant defending, inconsistent conviction in midfield and a blunt attacking edge, there was plenty to dislike about Liverpool's performance in dismal defeat at Wolves on Tuesday.But one matter that particularly irked Arne Slot by half-time was his team's inability to play the ball quickly enough to the flanks and give the Reds' wide players sufficient opportunity to run at their opponents.It highlighted a faultline that has run straight through Liverpool's creative efforts this season and, for Slot, is being echoed around the Premier League.On the way to winning the title last year, the most profitable area of the pitch for the Reds was out wide, with Cody Gakpo contributing 10 goals in the competition and Mohamed Salah 29. I can show you one in La Liga where Lamine Yamal is playing, but I didn't see a lot of chances coming from there (out wide) from the games I watched on Wednesday."It's also due to the fact there are 10 big athletes who are really fast defending in and around the box."It's the hardest position to play in current football, being a winger, because there are so limited spaces and the players you face are so good."Slot believes Jeremie Frimpong, who has missed significant chunks of the season through injury but made his first start at right-back in more than a month on Tuesday, represents something of a throwback."Maybe it has nothing to do with it but back in the day, there was right-footer on the right and a left-footer on the left," said the Liverpool head coach.

Jeremie sometimes tries, especially at the end of the game when other teams are tired he succeeds with it but at the beginning it is hard."Against these defenders, that's why you only see left-footers on the right and right-footers on the left, because on the outside in this physique, it's getting harder and harder and more and more difficult."Jeremie is maybe one of the exceptions that can go on the outside, then you have to be incredibly fast. Because you know me."I am the same manager as last season.

I understand if you're a Liverpool fan, you don't care at all how the other teams are doing and how they are playing, but we are not the only ones."It's so hard to create tempo in a game if the other team doesn't want to have tempo. I would not deny that at all."So yes, I find it hard to hear that.