Ahead of the visit to Eintracht Frankfurt tomorrow night, Liverpool FC have now lost four on the bounce. Given the record-breaking spending spree that Anfield engaged in this past summer transfer window, the critics are out in ful force. That includes Manchester United, Everton and England national team legend Wayne Rooney.
Rooney called for manager Arne Slot to drop Alexander Isak, who became the most expensive player in English football history, when he was signed from Newcastle United for €150 million, towards the end of the window.
Champions League Match Day 3 of 8 FYIs
Liverpool at Eintracht Frankfurt
Kickoff: Wed. Oct. 22, 8pm. Deutsche Bank Park, Frankfurt, Germany
UCL Standing, Form: Eintracht Frankfurt 15th, 3 pts, WL Liverpool 17th, 3 pts, WL
Liverpool Preview Material: Team News Full Injury Details Starting XI Prediction
Rooney believes Huge Ekitike should get the call over Isak.
“I wouldn’t play Isak, he hasn’t looked ready since coming from Newcastle,” Rooney said on his BBC podcast: “The Wayne Rooney Show.”
“He hasn’t trained, hasn’t had a preseason. It’s so important. While Newcastle were training he was probably sat at home on the phone to his agent for six hours a day trying to get a move.
“It’s so difficult when you don’t have a preseason. He might’ve done stuff by himself but he’s paying the price of it.
“On performances, he doesn’t deserve to be playing ahead of Ekitike.”
Well then, let’s see if manager Arne Slot follows Rooney’s advice. For what it’s worth, and really it’s not worth all that much (LOLOLOL!), we made the switch here, in our lineup prediction.
Liverpool FC Predicted Starting XI at Eintracht Frankfurt
Giorgi Mamardashvili; Jeremie Frimpong, Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, Milos Kerkez; Alexis Mac Allister, Curtis Jones; Mo Salah, Dominic Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo; Hugo Ekitike
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter