Liverpool fans have called out Arne Slot’s ‘sackable offence’ against West Ham United.
Liverpool resumed their faltering Premier League campaign on Sunday following their crushing 4-1 defeat to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.
The Reds have lost back-to-back league games, having suffered consecutive 3-0 defeats to Manchester City and Nottingham Forest.
Slot rang the changes ahead of his side’s fixture at the London Stadium, notably dropping Mohamed Salah.
Explaining his decision to drop Salah from the starting XI, he told Sky Sports: “We have more players on the bench than only Mo but I can understand you ask a question about that.
“We have played four games in 10 days I have many good players as you know so for today I chose a different line-up.
“Sometimes Alex has been on the bench and sometimes Florian. So it’s always about who is on the bench which I can understand but it’s also about the players that start and that’s the XI I chose today.”
Slot’s bold selection call got Liverpool fans talking as they questioned his decision to stick with Cody Gakpo, who was wasteful against West Ham.
Gakpo failed to impress in the first-half of Sunday’s league clash, angering supporters online.
One X user wrote: “Dropping Salah but not Gakpo is sackable.”
A second argued: “Gakpo is scoring goals and defends Salah is doing neither.”
A third added: “Gakpo ruining everything so far.”
A fourth commented: “Slot’s love for Gakpo is genuinely baffling as I really want to see Ekitike and Isak start together, but it is what it is.”
Another said: “How does Gakpo continue to start games…”
Cody Gakpo in action against West Ham United. Image: Getty
Gakpo, who has scored three league goals this season, survived the axe as he kept his place in the starting XI, having started against PSV on Wednesday.
He also played from the start against Forest.
Slot has the likes of Salah and Hugo Ekitike to call upon from Liverpool’s bench if he decides to change things up in the second-half.