Liverpool fans have been left divided after Arne Slot made a surprise tactical tweak in a behind-closed-doors pre-season friendly.
The Premier League titleholders began their pre-season campaign with a convincing 4-0 victory over Preston, before continuing their build-up to the new season with a behind-closed-doors friendly against Stoke City.
Although the match was played privately, some key details have surfaced.
Liverpool secured a dominant 5-0 win at the AXA Training Centre, with Darwin Núñez netting a hat-trick, while Rio Ngumoha and Federico Chiesa also found the back of the net.
Florian Wirtz, the club’s record signing, was named in the starting lineup — a detail leaked online by journalist Ben Pescod. The absence of Luis Díaz from the squad has only fueled speculation that a transfer could be imminent.
However, what truly caught fans’ attention was Arne Slot’s bold tactical decision, as reports revealed the manager deployed one of his key players in an unexpected new role — sparking intrigue about potential changes ahead of the new season.
According to Ian Doyle, chief Reds reporter for the Liverpool Echo, Dominik Szoboszlai filled in at right-back during Liverpool’s behind-closed-doors friendly.
The Hungarian international, who was a key figure in Slot’s midfield trio during their title-winning campaign, was surprisingly deployed in the defensive line. With Florian Wirtz operating as the No.10 and Curtis Jones alongside youngster Trey Nyoni in midfield, Szoboszlai slotted into the backline — even as natural right-backs Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong remained on the bench.
The tactical tweak sparked mixed reactions among Liverpool supporters.
Some fans saw potential in the experiment, drawing comparisons to Real Madrid’s Federico Valverde.
One user on X remarked: “Can imagine he’d be quite a good right back.”
Another added: “Big fan of just getting as many of your favourite lads on the pitch — like me on Footy Manager.”
A third fan praised his adaptability: “Most versatile player I’ve seen in a long time. Think I’ve seen him play everything but CB/GK.”
However, not everyone was convinced.
One sceptical comment read: “Hell no, he must play DM.”
Dominik Szoboszlai isn’t entirely unfamiliar with the right-back position.
Last season, under Arne Slot, Liverpool often used full-backs in inverted roles — a tactic that suited Trent Alexander-Arnold perfectly thanks to his technical ability and passing range. Szoboszlai appears well-equipped for a similar role, given his stamina, vision, and ball-playing quality.
In fact, this isn’t his first experience in that position. During his time at RB Leipzig, he was deployed as a right-back in a DFB Pokal match, where he impressed with two assists. His performance was so standout that teammate Benjamin Henrichs jokingly dubbed him “Dani Alves” after the game.
Looking ahead, Liverpool’s pre-season tour takes them to the Far East, where they’ll face AC Milan in Hong Kong, followed by a clash with Yokohama FM at the Nissan Stadium four days later.
The Reds will then return to Europe for back-to-back matches against Athletic Club, before squaring off with Crystal Palace in the Community Shield at Wembley on August 10.
