Glen Johnson: Why Hugo Ekitike isn’t starting for Liverpool

Things have gone from bad to worse for Liverpool and Arne Slot as they’ve now lost four in a row across all competitions. Tonight, Arne Slot has an opportunity to turn the ship around in the Champions League as the Reds travel to Frankfurt.

We sat down with former Liverpool defender Glen Johnson to discuss their drop in form and the pressure on Arne Slot to turn things around. He also spoke about the squad selection and explained why he thinks Hugo Ekitike needs to start.

Slot has his own way of dealing with adversity, but next few games are must-win

Liverpool’s string of losses seem to have frustrated the manager as his comments are under greater scrutiny. Slot was recently called out for his interesting quotes where he lamented Manchester United for changing their formation and playing it long in their win at Anfield. He was also criticised by Liverpool fans for singling out Cody Gakpo’s misses as they felt he was throwing the Dutch forward under the bus.

Johnson, despite not agreeing with Slot’s behaviour, defends him by saying that he’s doing what he thinks is right.

"The next games of course are big, no matter who they're playing or what competition it is. They need to get back to winning ways."

"Usually the managers take the bullet and protect their players but at the same time, managers will also do what they think will get the best reaction out of their players. So if that means pointing the finger at them every now and then, if he's right then it's okay."

"Of course you still need to make sure it's a happy camp and make sure it's constructive what you're actually trying to do rather than dissecting yourself from the team."

"I'm sure he's doing what he thinks is right but in my experience it's always better to have those battles inside the camp and keep it in the dressing room."

"Liverpool are still a great side. The next games are very important. Title winners don't lose four games in a row, so if they want to be in that race, they need to bounce back."

"Every team has their own style and you play with what you've got. Everyone wants to play football, in terms of what we call tiki-taka, which is great. But if you're susceptible against long balls, people are going to see that and try to exploit it."

"These days, everyone's got their own styles, the game's changing really quick. People need to do whatever they can to get an advantage on their opponents and if they think going long and attacking certain players and certain areas helps, teams are going to do that."

Isak is the reason why Ekitike can’t start

Liverpool broke the bank and the British transfer record this summer to bring Alexander Isak to Anfield, and now they’re trying their best to integrate him into the starting XI. A casualty of that has been Hugo Ekitike, another new signing, who has been the Reds’ most prolific forward.

Even without regular starting time, Ekitike is still the fifth favourite with odds of 25/1 to be the top scorer in the league this season. He's also priced at 13/10 to score against Brentford this weekend, which you could back by using our bet365 bonus code. Johnson believes that both Isak and Ekitike can play together, as he views them as distinct players. He also understands the need to integrate Isak in the starting lineup.

"I think Isak and Ekitike can coexist in the same starting XI. I think they're totally different players."

"Of course Isak is going to come in with the business they put in behind that deal to happen. Isak comes in as the record signing and he's going to have to play. But at the same time he needs to live up to his reputation and the fee."

Johnson also adds that Ekitike should be starting every game, but that isn’t happening because of the politics and optics involved with the Isak deal.

"Ekitike for me, he should be starting every game. Politically he can't right now because of the business they've done, Isak has to start. At the same time you have to be ruthless and win games. If that's the best player, regardless of the record signing, he needs to play."

"And if they can work round it and play them together, that's what you sign both for. I think they can. It's still early days."

"Isak is a proper striker. He's not the best footballer, in terms of dropping back and all that. He's just a goalscoring machine. Ekitike can drop back. So as long as they can work together, in time it can come good."

"But for me, if I was Ekitike right now, I'd be fuming."

Should Salah be dropped?

Liverpool fans have also not been impressed with Mohamed Salah’s performances so far this season. The Egyptian has faced criticism for his lack of defensive contributions and a dry spell in front of goal, with many fans urging Arne Slot to drop him.

Johnson doesn’t agree with that assessment as he argues that Salah isn’t doing anything different from what he was doing last season. He believes that his playing style and body language were the same, and that he’s only getting criticised for that right now as he’s not scoring.

"The thing is, Salah's body language and the way he's playing is what he was doing when he was knocking numbers out of the park. It's easy for people to jump on his back right now as he's not getting the goals or the assists that he used to. The lack of tracking back can look lazy now but it was the same before but people ignored it because he was scoring."

In Johnson’s view, Salah needs a bit of rest to get his hunger back as he doesn’t look like himself on the pitch. The former England international has backed the Egyptian to get back to his best.

"You don't become a bad player overnight. You can argue that maybe he needs a little break, get his hunger back. He's still a world class player but at the moment he doesn't look like himself. He doesn't look as happy as he was before. Even when Liverpool are scoring, he doesn't look himself. I don't know what that is. I hope he finds it quick and bounces back."

"He's got an awful lot to give but at the same time Liverpool need to win games and no one's better than Liverpool. If these performances continue, of course he's going to be benched or even worse. But hopefully he bounces back."

Arsenal are not a “billion-pound Stoke”

While Liverpool are struggling, Arsenal are flying. The Gunners sit on top of the league and also demolished Atletico Madrid in the Champions League this week.

Mikel Arteta’s men have maximised the use of set pieces and long throws to create scoring opportunities, and rival fans and pundits have derisively called them a "billion-pound Stoke” as their tactics are reminiscent of Tony Pulis’ Stoke City sides of the past.

Johnson, who played for the Potters under Mark Hughes, doesn’t agree with that moniker and has praised Arteta’s men for doing whatever they can to win.

“If players have a threat then teams need to use that to win. If you’ve got players like Saka who can whip balls in you have to use that. If it’s throw-ins then bloody use it. Arsenal are probably the best footballing team in the league so I don’t think you can say they play like Tony Pulis’ Stoke. At the end of the day you’ve got to find ways to win and that’s what Arsenal are doing.”

Johnson also had words of praise for Viktor Gyokeres, who has had a slow start to his Arsenal career.

“I like Gyokeres. He works hard, he fights for the ball. He gets them up the pitch when under pressure. What he did in Portugal would have been hard to replicate in the Premier League but I like him. I’m not sure he’s the top, top level but there’s things he does I like and he improves the team and it’s a good signing. I just think people got carried away and excited with how good he really is.”

Read more as Danny Murphy gives his thoughts on who should be Liverpool's main transfer window target