Liverpool's attacking struggles have become impossible to ignore, and according to two prominent Anfield analysts, the root cause is clear: Arne Slot doesn't know how to use his strikers.
On the latest episode of Anfield Index's Media Matters, Dave Davis and David Lynch dissected Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Chelsea, but the conversation quickly turned to a far more worrying trend—the team's inability to get its central striker involved in the game.
Davis didn't hold back, pointing out that Alexander Isak managed just seven touches in roughly 30 minutes after coming off the bench. "Arne Slot has no idea how to use him," Davis said bluntly.
He then piled on another damning stat: "Cody Gakpo didn't have a touch in the first twenty minutes of the game." That lack of involvement suggests Liverpool aren't just struggling with one player—they're struggling with the entire striker role.
When asked directly whether Liverpool "have no idea how to play with a number nine," Lynch didn't hesitate. "No," he replied.
For Lynch, this is nothing new. He pointed out that the issue dates back to last season, stressing, "This is not a new thing that people are getting frustrated about."
That's significant because Liverpool's summer transfer business was supposed to fix exactly this problem. The club invested heavily in Alexander Isak, a proven goalscorer, yet the service simply isn't coming.
Lynch recalled how Luis Diaz previously operated as a low-touch false nine, admitting "that kind of worked" because it freed up Mohamed Salah to find scoring positions. But he dismissed the idea that this was ever a deliberate tactical choice.
"It's not a tactical decision," Lynch insisted. "We can see this now because they bought two incredibly expensive number nines who never touched the ball."
The harshest criticism was reserved for Slot's inability to connect the midfield to the striker. "If Cody Gakpo's there, if Isak's there, if Ekitike's there, the number nine barely touches the football," Lynch said.
Then came the killer question: "Why is that?"
His answer was damning: "He just doesn't have a clue how to get the ball into them."
For Liverpool fans hoping the summer signings would transform their attack, this analysis is a cold dose of reality. The talent is there—but the system isn't delivering it.