The curse of Liverpool's right-backs — and what they can do about it

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They put faith in the second in command, Conor Bradley, and then moved fast to bring in another right-sided alternative in Jeremie Frimpong, a player not only known for his skills and versatility, but also durability, for £29.5million. The decision to keep Joe Gomez as additional cover also felt sensible, even after the mismanagement of the Marc Guehi pursuit. It felt like all bases were covered. Subsequent events make you wonder whether the position is cursed. As Liverpool do not possess any other senior centre-backs to move across (youngster Giovanni Leoni injured his left knee on his debut in October), alternative midfielders have been used instead, notably Dominik Szoboszlai. Seven players have featured in the position in all competitions this season. The issue is clearly illustrated by these graphics breaking down Liverpool’s squad by appearances, and minutes played, this season: all three primary right-back options (Bradley, Frimpong and Gomez) are in the bottom half. It is not the reason Liverpool have surrendered their title so easily, but it’s certainly a contributing factor. In the last two games alone, Liverpool have played four different players at right-back, including three in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain. Curtis Jones is the latest to be tasked with filling in the problem position during Sunday’s 2-1 win at Everton. Replacing Alexander-Arnold was always going to be difficult, but it never should have been like this. The predicament raises the possibility of Liverpool having to sign additional cover this summer unless there’s a change in system to utilise right-footed centre-backs Leoni and summer arrival Jeremy Jacquet when they return from injury. That in itself is not straightforward. Liverpool have a lot to juggle in the window. Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson are leaving, Ibrahima Konate’s future is still unresolved as he enters the final weeks of his contract, Hugo Ekitike is sidelined for a lengthy period with an Achilles injury in his right leg, and a growing need to bolster midfield options. Signing another right-back isn’t seen as a priority. Ignoring it would be a risk. The data makes for painful reading, not only because of its freak nature, but also what could have been done to avoid it. Bradley has only started 12 games in the Premier League, completing 90 minutes just three times, continuing a pattern of him missing large chunks of seasons. His whole-hearted playing style and disciplinary problems (he racked up nine bookings in his 26 games for club and country this season) also required the need for back-up. That is where Frimpong and Gomez were supposed to come in, only for their fitness to fall apart too. Could Frimpong’s issues have been foreseen? There are many things Liverpool’s backroom staff and recruitment team could have done better this season, but this is one issue that was beyond their control. The 22-year-old had barely missed a game for Bayer Leverkusen across three seasons and was expected to be able to cope with the Premier League’s notorious physicality. His issues have surprised not just Liverpool, but the player himself. “Normally I don’t get injured,” said Frimpong in an interview with The Telegraph last week. “The only time I had a lay-off before was for a surgery after a bad tackle. There was nothing I could do about that. But for it to happen to myself? Hamstrings? It’s never happened in my career. I’m not going to lie, it’s been hard.” Liverpool made it clear when Frimpong signed that he was not a direct replacement for Alexander-Arnold, but even so, they banked on having him available far more often. After the second injury, the Netherlands international tried to follow all the right steps to avoid recurrence, including extra time in the gym, yoga, a smarter focus on recovery and even changes to his diet, so it’s understandable why the third was so mentally bruising. Even for a player like Gomez, who has battled with his body breaking down for years, this season has been particularly frustrating. On multiple occasions Slot has explained that the defender has only been fit enough to feature on the bench. He’s completed just two full outings in the Premier League and was substituted both on and off in the second leg of the PSG defeat with injury, ruling him out of the latest win at Everton. Liverpool have had the modest luxury of naming Bradley, Frimpong and Gomez — the only cover at centre-half following Leoni’s season-ending injury in September — in their squad just seven times in the Premier League. The longest sequence of consecutive starts at right-back this season is also just seven, held by Bradley between September and November. Dealing with adversity is part of the challenge at any football club, but issues in this position have been relentless. This season, 19 Premier League right-backs or right wing-backs have played more minutes than Bradley (932 minutes), who remains the Liverpool player who has spent the most time in the position, despite not featuring since January. To underline the level of chaos, Szoboszlai, Liverpool’s most influential midfielder, has spent 719 minutes playing at right-back. It’s like asking Rory McIlroy to win the Masters without his seven-iron. Yes, he could choke down on a 6-iron and find a route to the green but it wouldn’t be as smooth or free-flowing if he had every club available. Perhaps Liverpool should have been more prepared. Last season Bradley and Gomez were two of only three regular first-team players to miss more than 10 games, so the warning signs were there. Frimpong was supposed to alleviate some of the risk and even now, after three hamstring injuries, there’s a greater emphasis placed on protecting him and managing minutes to avoid further issues, so it won’t be until next season before the slate is wiped clear. Jones, who started the Merseyside derby and was calm and composed in possession but shaky when facing long balls (unsurprisingly, as he’s not a right-back), may have a greater role to play in the times ahead. Slot decided a long time ago that Calvin Ramsay and other players in the development teams were not ready to step up. There may also be a benefit, of sorts, in having a relatively light fixture load in the final month of the season, with a clear week between matches. Injuries have been a theme of Liverpool’s campaign ever since the kick off in August. Goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili’s withdrawal with a gashed leg on Sunday was the 29th time one of their players has been substituted due to injury this term. In terms of right-back, there isn’t another club in the division who has suffered so badly in one position and with Salah leaving this summer, further change is expected on that side. Liverpool will need to come up with a plan to make sure they are better equipped next season. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms