View: 28% Liverpool player risks Arne Slot axe if performances don’t improve
Dominik Szoboszlai is showing early warning signs for Liverpool this season and must step up to keep his place under Arne Slot.
The 23-year-old enjoyed a sensational start to life under Jurgen Klopp last year but returned to the side after a 12-match absence from injury at the midpoint of the season a shadow of his former self.
Szoboszlai’s Euro 2024 campaign with Hungary left a lot to be desired and, while he has shown glimpses of his quality for the Reds this season, he is demonstrating frustrating habits picked up in the business end of the 2023/24 season.
Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister have thrived under the new boss thus far, and if Szoboszlai fails to kick on in the coming weeks he could risk finding himself on the fringes at Anfield.
Where is the real Dominik Szoboszlai for Liverpool?
Liverpool supporters were elated in the summer of 2023 upon hearing that the Reds had ended their pursuit of now-Manchester United midfielder Mason Mount, opting to activate the £60m release clause of Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig instead.
The Hungarian took the famous number eight shirt, previously worn by club legend Steven Gerrard, and made the hefty outlay look like pocket change, scoring his first goal for the Reds in the 3-0 win against Aston Villa in his fourth start.
His form fell off a cliff once he returned from injury and he was the main culprit in the 3-0 capitulation at Anfield against Atalanta that ultimately dumped Liverpool out of the Europa League.
That form has reared its ugly head again this year, particularly against Nottingham Forest. His 78 per cent pass completion tells one story [Sofascore]. However, his 13 incomplete passes broke up important attacks for Liverpool as they attempted to level the game in the final stages of the match.
Szoboszlai is in the top 85 percentile of Premier League midfielders for passes attempted per 90 minutes with 66.39, but his 83.1 per cent pass completion ranks among the 50 percentile [FBref], which considering the standard of opposition Liverpool have faced this season is well below par.
The dynamic playmaking midfielder who arrived from RB Leipzig has been missing. His long ball accuracy this season is 66.7 per cent, with only eight completed, and he has found teammates with only two crosses with a 28 per cent success rate [Fotmob].
All aspects of his game have regressed tremendously if the numbers are to be believed in the past 12 months. The press monster that Klopp grew to adore is non-existent.
He has also won only 15 duels this season and has registered two ball recoveries in the final third, while also averaging 0.5 recoveries per 90 in the league [Sofascore].
Liverpool need the RB Leipzig version of Dominik Szoboszlai
His positioning in the final third is one aspect of his game that is excellent. He has shown great awareness for his goal against AC Milan in the Champions League and averages 7.07 progressive passes received, which is in the top 98 percentile for midfielders [FBref].
However, his impact in England is far inferior across the board compared to his time in Germany and the form that earned him the move to Liverpool.
Szoboszlai played two more matches last season for the Reds compared to his two years at RB Leipzig with 33 appearances. In his final year with the Bundesliga side, he made 45 tackles, lost 25 tackles, and tackled 40.5 per cent of opposition dribblers.
Last season, he made 32 tackles, lost 34 tackles, tackled 32 per cent of opposition dribblers, and created 4.5 shot-creating-actions per 90, with 4.92 shot-creating actions in the 2024/24 campaign and 5.52 in the year prior [FBref].
While the Premier League is arguably more intense than the Bundesliga, Szoboszlai has proven that he can outperform his current performances with the Reds in a top-five league and needs to figure out how to translate his performances in Germany at Anfield.
Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott, once he returns to fitness, will be eager to force their way into Slot’s plans – and if there is any weakness in the current Liverpool midfield, it is Szoboszlai.
In other Liverpool news, the Reds have announced a £31m economy boost after an FSG masterstroke.
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