“Has been having stinkers”, “Good to see him on the bench” - Liverpool fans react as 23-year-old star named on the bench for Crystal Palace clash
Liverpool fans have welcomed Arne Slot's decision to drop Dominik Szoboszlai from the starting XI against Crystal Palace on Saturday, October 5, in the Premier League. The Reds arrive at the game in red-hot form, having won five of their six games this season.
While the Merseyside club have been firing on all cylinders, there have been concerns regarding Szoboszlai. The Hungarian midfielder hasn't been productive in the final third since Slot's arrival.
Szoboszlai has registered just one goal and three assists from eight games across comeptitions till date for the Reds. The 23-year-old has started all previous six games in the Premier League this season but the Dutch manager has now decided to replace him with Curtis Jones.
Liverpool fans were mostly supportive of the manager's decision, pointing out that the player hasn't been in his element this season. One fan tweeted:
"I love this coach he knows when to drop szoboszlai has been having stinkers recently so the coach dropped him."
Another added:
"Good to see Szobo on the bench after some disappointing performances of late!"
There were similar reactions from other fans. One chimed in:
"Benched szoboszlai and Nunez now we will use all our chance's."
One fan, however, wasn't happy that Szoboszlai was replaced by Curtis Jones. He posted:
"We wanted Szoboslai to be dropped but not for that idiot Jones 😭"
However, not all fans were ecstatic about the decision. One commented:
"Think we’ll struggle without Szoboszlai’s today, no replacing his running/press."
Another added:
"Szoboszlai undoubtedly is the most disrespected Liverpool player by the fans ngl."
Liverpool have started in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Crystal Palace with Jota as the lone striker, with Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah starting either side of Curtis Jones.
Will Liverpool sign an upgrade on Dominik Szoboszlai in 2025?
Liverpool have recently been linked with a move for Shakhtar Donetsk's Georgiy Sudokov as a possible replacement for Dominik Szoboszlai. The Hungarian arrived at Anfield from the summer of 2023 reportedly in a £60m deal from RB Leipzig.
He was an instant hit last season, cementing his place under Jurgen Klopp. The 23-year-old registered seven goals and four assists from 45 games across competitions for the Reds.
He was expected to hit a higher gear this season under Arne Slot, but that hasn't happened so far. The Dutch manager has recently stated that he wants more goal contributions from his attacking midfielder.
Szoboszlai is now under pressure at Anfield, with Slot already demanding a lot from him. Unless the Hungarian improves, he could lose his place in the Dutchman's team soon.