Liverpool manager Arne Slot has given his verdict on Stefan Bajcetic’s performance in
their first pre-season friendly of the summer against Real Betis.
The Dutchman acknowledged the 19-year-old had some good moments but criticized him for losing possession multiple times.
Bajcetic showed glimpses of greatness, playing as the Reds’ No. 6,
but his progression has been hampered by injuries over the past two years.
He only made six appearances across all competitions last season due to a calf injury, which led to him missing 41 games across competitions.
The Spaniard made his first appearance under Slot against Real Betis,
coming on as a second-half substitute in the 64th minute.
During Liverpool’s post-match press conference, Slot gave his take on Bajcetic (via Rousing the Kop):
“I think you have to take into account with Stefan that he was out for a year, one-and-a-half years almost.
So if a young player is out for that long, you have to give him some time.”
He added:
“But I saw today already a few good moments from him and also a few moments where he got caught because he acted a bit too slow.
But I think that’s normal if you’ve been out for such a long time [and] then you need rhythm,
you need game time to grow even further. But I think he showed some good moments during the half-hour that he played.”
Bajcetic completed 13 out of his 15 passes with an accuracy of 87 percent.
While he was dispossessed twice, he won both his tackles and won five duels, showing some decent moments in his cameo.