Stefan Bajcetic comes in for criticism after fine as teammates 'question role in team'

Liverpool's young loanee, Stefan Bajcetic, has had a challenging start to his stint in Austria, with doubts being raised about his ongoing role at Red Bull Salzburg.

Bajcetic had a difficult time with injuries last season after making his breakthrough at Anfield under Jurgen Klopp, featuring just three times. Liverpool's new boss Arne Slot felt a loan move was the best option for the 19 year old, who has teamed up with Klopp's former assistant Pep Lijnders.

He is one of two young talents to swap Anfield for the Red Bull Arena, with Bobby Clark also making a move. Liverpool included a sell-on clause in Clark's deal and retain the right to match any offer for the England Under-20 international.

Neither Clark nor Bajcetic have made a significant impact in Salzburg yet. However, Bajcetic has been singled out for criticism for his performances.

Austrian publication Kronen Zeitung suggests that some members of Lijnders' squad are privately questioning the manager's team selections. Clark hasn't started a league game yet, but Bajcetic has been in the starting line-up for the past three matches, attracting particular criticism following the weekend loss to Sturm Graz.

The same newspaper gave Bajcetic and nine other starters a 1/6 rating after the 5-0 defeat. Mads Bidstrup was the only starter to score 2/6, while substitute Clark also received the lowest possible score after coming off the bench for 33 minutes.

Bajcetic has faced yet another challenge at Red Bull Salzburg, even with consistent playtime, enduring a penalty reportedly for tardiness before their Champions League clash with Brest which saw them on the losing end of a 4-0 scoreline.

Last season saw Red Bull Salzburg narrowly miss out on the Austrian Bundesliga championship to Sturm Graz, and their recent form under coach Lijnders hasn't been promising. A resounding 5-0 loss to Sturm Graz, off the back of Mika Biereths hat-trick, has left them languishing in fifth.

Although Lijnders guided his squad through two qualifying rounds in the Champions League against Twente and Dynamo Kyiv, their campaign remains troubled and they are teetering on the brink of last place following defeats of 3-0 to Sparta Prague and 4-0 by Brest at home.

Lijnders conceded, post-Sunday's comprehensive defeat: "Sturm were better in every moment of the game," but he added: "If we learn from today's experience, it will be a good season. Then we can take steps forward. Otherwise not.

"After the defeat against Rapid and the clear defeat in Prague, we have suffered a breakdown. The temporary absence of Bidstrup and the long absence of Kjaergaard are also heavy. We have lost confidence, and instability has set in. We simply have to defend better in the last line."