Recently, a journalist wrote a column discussing Liverpool manager Arne Slot's use of full-backs.
The following is the column content:
"Boom, boom." Last Saturday, Slot used these two words to describe Jeremie Frimpong, noting that he possesses raw speed and can create chances out of nothing to break through opponents' tight defensive blocks.
This echoes the evaluation of one of his former coaches, ex-Celtic manager Neil Lennon, who told the newspaper in May: “He's a little assassin. Nothing flusters him. He has acceleration and can maintain that speed for 30 to 40 yards. Good on the ball, great game reading, and finishing ability.”
Another football legend, Dutch great Mark van Bommel, also told the media: “What's important is that Frimpong is intelligent; he can adapt to every situation on the pitch and think. That's the Dutch way of football. We're a small country, so you need to be technically smart and flexible.”
Therefore, to put it mildly, Frimpong has all the qualities of a top modern player. He meets all the standards and can be called versatile. It is reported that the 25-year-old has also invested a lot of time in strengthening his defensive abilities in the game, striving to become a more comprehensive player.
The only problem is that we haven't really seen his full potential yet. At least not so far. Since joining Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen for £29.5 million, two hamstring injuries have limited Frimpong to just two Premier League starts. Before coming to England, he had not missed a single league game in three years.
Now fully fit, he seems to be an answer to Liverpool's current problems. Of course, he can't solve everything—but the former Manchester City and Dutch international is providing a new dimension that the English champions have lacked for weeks, even months.
He proved this by contributing to two goals in the last two games: last week against Tottenham Hotspur, he delivered a clever cross into the box to assist Hugo Ekitike with a header; then against Wolverhampton Wanderers, he set up Ryan Gravenberch with a smart lay-off to open the scoring.
Both assists came at times when the Reds struggled to break down stubborn defenses. And that's exactly why Frimpong was signed—after all, he contributed 19 goals and 24 assists in the two seasons he helped Leverkusen win the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal.
These are astonishing statistics for a full-back, and precisely why Liverpool wanted him. They also see him as a potential replacement for Mohamed Salah on the right wing, something we may see in the coming weeks.
After watching Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes thrive at European champions Paris Saint-Germain, Slot is eager to change his team's full-back play. The manager has studied this wing duo under Luis Enrique for months.
This pair played a key role in PSG eliminating Liverpool from the Champions League—that Round of 16 clash, comparable to a final, was a showdown between two top teams—but Slot and his team have been monitoring Frimpong and Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez for some time.
Slot pointed out that he cannot replace Trent Alexander-Arnold's unique style, but he knows Frimpong, Kerkez, and the energetic Conor Bradley can bring new dimensions. "In terms of running, Conor is in a league of his own, maybe comparable to Hakimi," Slot said in May.
Frimpong is working on his defensive abilities in the game, while also learning how to stay fit and avoid the minor injuries that have plagued his season so far. He is described as a lively character who is popular in the dressing room.
Ahead of Liverpool's New Year's Day clash with Leeds United, Slot added: “We had to make a change in that position because Alexander-Arnold left. That's not ideal for me because Trent is very important to the club and was to me personally last season.”
“When we were looking in the market, Frimpong was one of the first players we noticed. He has similar speed to Conor, Kerkez, and Andrew Robertson. That speed is one thing in attack, but it's also useful when you're facing PSG or many Premier League teams with very fast wingers.”
"Having them (pacey full-backs) is definitely helpful. Unfortunately, they don't always have the same teammates in front of them. So it's still a process of gelling. Especially because quite often they're not all available, and we have to make adjustments because of load management."
