Ståle Solbakken pulls no punches in his assessment of Liverpool’s season so far. The Norway manager believes the full-back pairing is the team’s biggest problem – and he has already given up on the dream of another league title.
Ståle Solbakken has never made any secret of where his heart lies. But in a video published by Viaplay, there is little love on show in the Norway manager’s assessment of Liverpool’s squad.
One area of the team comes in for particular criticism.
‘The full-backs are a walking nightmare!’Ståle Solbakken
Slams Kerkez and Frimpong
Solbakken does not stop at that general verdict. He names both full-backs – and explains his criticism.
Of left-back Milos Kerkez, he says:
‘Kerkez just doesn’t seem to be getting it right. Even with his former manager in place.’
Right-back Jeremie Frimpong receives an equally unequivocal assessment:
‘For me, Frimpong is weak positionally. He too is better going forward than defending.’
That last point is one Solbakken returns to: both full-backs are attacking players tasked with doing a defensive job.
Doubts over van Dijk
The captain does not escape scrutiny either. Solbakken poses the question himself, then offers a qualified answer.
‘Is van Dijk on his last legs? I’m not sure about that. But he certainly doesn’t have the same pace he used to.’
The Norway manager also points to the wings, where he believes Liverpool will have to rely on players who have yet to prove themselves over a sustained period.
‘It’s relatively unproven wingers who are going to play, perhaps more than they would like,’ he says.
Has written off the title challenge
His conclusion is blunt – with a little smile as he acknowledges that he still says ‘we’ when talking about the Merseyside club.
‘I don’t think I’ll be lifting that trophy with them at the end of the season. So we’ll probably have to aim for ... or, I’m saying “we” now. Haha!’
Then comes the revised target:
‘We’ll probably have to aim for the Champions League places!’Ståle Solbakken on Liverpool’s season
The comments come at a time when Liverpool’s new full-back pairing has been the subject of widespread debate, with the balance between attacking contribution and defensive solidity on either side of the back four a recurring point of contention.
Whether Solbakken is proved right remains to be seen. For now, at least, he has lowered his own expectations.
The quotes are taken from Viaplay’s video on Instagram (@viaplayfotball / @viaplaysportnorge) and have been lightly edited from spoken to written form.