That’s called having nerve. Arne Slot shocked everyone after the 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night. The 6th in the Reds’ last 7 outings. “It’s not in line with Liverpool’s standards to lose six games out of seven. I couldn’t put them (the starters) in a situation where they had to go into a week like this. We have a match tonight (Wednesday), then just two days of recovery before the next match, then another two days before facing Real Madrid, and finally a few more days before Manchester City. Everyone can have their opinion on this subject, but with the squad we have, around 15 or 16 first team players available, that’s the choice I made.
A disastrous media release on Wednesday
Comments considered cheeky since it must be remembered that the residents of Anfield recruited for almost €500 million during the last summer transfer window. For the English press, including Telegraphthe Reds coach “shooting itself in the foot by talking about other clubs and protesting against the opposing tactics.” Despite absences due to injury, it was he who chose to take some of the starters off on Wednesday. Two days later, Slot was to hold a press conference, he who had also chosen to skip the pre-match conference on Tuesday and only speak on the official LFC website. He couldn’t dodge today, and was eagerly awaited after his last media outing, which was deemed disastrous.
After taking stock of the squad available to face Aston Villa tomorrow (Isak and Jones are practically out, Gravenberch is uncertain, editor’s note), he put his foot down afterwards. When asked to explain his comments regarding the depth of his squad, he said: “I am satisfied with the team, its quality and convinced by our strategy and our policy. But that’s precisely where the problem lies: some players were unable to complete pre-season preparation or were injured. As a result, when 3/4 are unavailable, we find ourselves with only 15 or 16 players. I am convinced that 20 is enough, but we have difficulty keeping them in shape, for obvious reasons.
Slot explains himself to the press
He added: “Alex (Isak) joined us on September 1 and it is more difficult to keep players fit. So, if some are unavailable, we call on the same ones. Maybe we were lucky last season and not this time. We played a series of away matches with only a few days of rest between each match. No excuses, before some people say so… We have to manage the situation, 3 matches in 7 or 8 days. It is therefore not a question of squad, but rather of injuries and availability of players. (…) We manage the situation as it is. Let’s take Alex’s example: the pre-season took place during the season. People often ask me why he plays. Otherwise, I would have to play Hugo (Ekitike) in every match. As Owen Hargreaves showed me, the two strikers played 34 matches last season, while here we play 60.
He continues: “It is therefore essential that Alex plays as much as possible. This is the case for him and a few others, like Frimpong and Bradley. If one is out, the other has to play more, hence Szoboszlai’s increased playing time at right-back. All teams face this problem, it’s not an excuse, but it was a little different from last season. Last season they all had at least a year of Premier League experience and they have stayed in good shape. Today, some people have to play more than expected, but that’s how it is. We have enough players to play all the matches, but I have to spare some of them. That’s why I decided not to play seven or eight.” Less spared this season, Arne Slot, who won the Premier League title in his first year, takes responsibility for his decisions.
A future that raises questions
“The learning will perhaps come later, and will mainly focus on how I can modify and evaluate the decisions made afterwards. I’m not worried about the past, but how we can put in a good performance on Saturday. The learning will come later; the important thing is the future and how we can get a good result and a good performance against Villa.” Confident, he clarified: “I’ve won matches in the past by deviating from my usual beliefs, so I’m more than willing to adapt to certain situations. I don’t think the problem is that we are giving away opportunity after opportunity. This is absolutely not the case. Except maybe against Palace. In all the other matches, we deserved better. Even this week, they have only conceded three clear-cut chances, but all three have hit the mark. These were clear opportunities. I don’t see us conceding many chances, so I don’t see any reason to completely change our style, but we have to do better.
Indeed, Liverpool, already eliminated in the Carabao Cup, is only 7th in the Premier League standings (15 points, 5 wins, 4 defeats). The match against Aston Villa tomorrow will therefore be very important, especially as the Reds will continue on Tuesday with the reception of Real Madrid in the Champions League. A competition in which the English have already gone to the ground this season against Galatasaray. Arne Slot, whom some English consultants accuse of having only surfed on the legacy of Jürgen Klopp last season and of not being in his place, must rectify the situation or risk being threatened. Asked about his future and an extension at a press conference, the coach, whom some LFC fans no longer want, was very surprised. “This is the last question I expected! My main goal is to get Liverpool back on the winning path. Contract negotiations, if any, are never discussed here. So let’s focus on getting back to winning ways, that’s my top priority.” Answer tomorrow.
