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It appears that Mohamed Salah's limited defensive contributions is emerging as a minor problem for Liverpool, particularly against stronger teams.

I can fully grasp if coach the Liverpool boss has directed the forward to avoid defensive duties, because staying high on the right flank when regaining possession has established him as one of the global most dangerous goalscorers.

But, the players behind him are not providing adequate cover, causing significant issues for whoever is playing at right-back in recent matches.

Whether it's Jeremie Frimpong or Dominik Szoboszlai, they often find themselves in trouble due to dealing with a numerical disadvantage on that flank.

It proved a clear vulnerability in the recent match, leading to Chelsea's winning goal – and the worry is that other sides will smartly target this weak spot.

{'Salah Has License to Skip Defence Work

First of all, it's hard to believe that Slot is telling Salah to track back and support his defender.

If Salah was told to mark Chelsea's left-back Marc Cucurella, then it was extremely obvious he did not comply, and Slot would not tolerate that.

Rather, Slot is granting Salah the freedom to focus solely on offensive duties, which is acceptable – there are numerous instances of other teams using similar approaches, with individuals who prefer to conserve their stamina for attacking moves.

Yes, there are always certain moments in a match when you are under pressure and one might feel compelled to help out.

I know he can do it, since when they triumphed at Manchester City previously, his defensive performance was among the best observed from him.

However, he must have been instructed to do so on that occasion, which is why I am not criticizing him if he is told to remain advanced.

'The Main Problem Is The Way Liverpool Are Structured In Support of Salah'

The concern with his role stems from how the side are organized in defensive support, especially against stronger opponents.

The other teammates need to provide more and faster assistance, because it felt like Chelsea were advancing the ball forward and then shifting it to their left side, because that's where the gap existed.

When a their midfielder went out too late – be it Alexis Mac Allister – then he left openings in the middle in front of the defence because Liverpool were losing a man from the midfield.

This situation is less of a problem when facing opponents that they control possession against – evidenced by Liverpool past league wins using such tactics – but they must improve as the top sides will capitalize.

'Liverpool Are Losing Command of Matches'

It is not as if he has changed his duties this season, but because he is not scoring at the other end, perhaps the defensive side of his game is amplified.

I am not overly worried about his current performance, as he will improve – he always does – in terms of his goal scoring.

He got into great positions against Chelsea but maybe took a chance when he should have passed, and the opposite, but those chances will keep coming and the scores will come.

The biggest concern with the team currently is their lack of command in matches relative to the previous campaign.

It has been a disappointing week for them, of course, not only to suffer three matches in a row in the Premier League and Champions League but as the performance levels have fallen below expectations.

There are extenuating circumstances, of course, with all the squad adjustments in the off-season and the number of players who missed pre-season, but last season Slot's side appeared so effective at managing games and that is no longer the situation.

It seemed like their organization was sound, and Slot's more ball-retention style brought better control.

It was something that observers immediately noticed he had added to the team, in contrast to what it was like under previous management.

Now, though, observing them and it looks a bit chaotic. The final 30 minutes of the Chelsea game was so frenetic it felt like a knockout game – they had opportunities to win it, but conceded several opportunities too, which is why they ultimately defeated.

{How Can The Manager Fix Liverpool Problems?

There are a several aspects that are off about Liverpool, and I keep seeing them losing possession, but this is not an unresolvable scenario.

Even though they have some new players – and varied profiles too – they should not need to change their approach. They just need to get back to being a bit more patient and composed.

Good aspect is they are just one point adrift of table-toppers the front-runners and have time to correct the things that are underperforming.

Fitness element they are missing will improve as the individuals who did not have a proper pre-season, such as key attackers and full-backs, will attain peak fitness soon.

Building proper relationships on the pitch always takes patience too, be it between the defender and the forward or other key pairings.

So, there is no reason to overreact. It feels like at the moment in the Premier League, and not only with this team but with every side, you are only one week away from 'catastrophe' and scrutiny.

The reality is what has happened to Liverpool recently will likely happen at some stage to other contenders and rivals as well.

I had not previously believed City would be in the championship chase, but if a key attacker remains motivated and fit they will be in contention.

Arsenal, defensively, appear excellent again and, overall, after seven games they seem very comfortable in what they are doing in all areas – it seems a extension of last season, with an added dose of quality and squad strength.

With Liverpool it seems more of a rebuild at present. But while there is still work to do for them to find the right equilibrium and combinations, it is expected everyone is anticipating them to progress as the campaign advances.