Arne Slot Manager
The Reds have faced a tumultuous start to the current season following a significant squad overhaul. With nearly £450 million invested in summer arrivals, Liverpool saw several established players depart, creating a dynamic shift within the team. This transition, coupled with a series of injuries and a lack of proper pre-season preparation for key players such as Alexander Isak, Alexis Mac Allister, and Conor Bradley, has led to inconsistent team performances. The challenges have been reflected in Liverpool’s recent form, with six defeats in seven games, before head coach Arne Slot adjusted his strategy to achieve consecutive home victories against Aston Villa and Real Madrid.
Arne Slot said: “I’m known as being a manager who prefers not to change but I couldn’t do anything different to what I did. Then of course we brought new players in and they have to adapt. Ryan Gravenberch missed the first two games of the season, (Alexis) Mac Allister was out the whole pre-season, Conor Bradley wasn’t able to play, Jeremie Frimpong wasn’t able to play many games. Alexander Isak came in and had to do pre-season inside the season. You could say ‘why do you play him?’, but then he wouldn’t be fit until the end of the season. We knew this before when we signed him that it was going to take three to six months until he’s up to his usual level. But if I never play him, I can’t bring him to that level. There have been obvious reasons why we’ve had to change more than I would like. Mac Allister as an example, if you miss out on pre-season then you’re not ready to play three games in seven days. If you do, you will get injuries, and I can show multiple examples to you – where Alex, by the way, is one – but also from other clubs, which I will not do because then journalists will go to the club and say ‘Arne Slot said something about your players…’! But it’s so obvious for me, and I’m a bit more, you can maybe feel it, a bit like ‘Jesus, why don’t you see these things? Why are you talking about me changing?’ when it’s so obvious why. Ibou (Konate) and Virgil (van Dijk) I haven’t changed because they play in a position where it’s easier to play so many games.”
Slot added: “It’s not like in the first game of the season I decided not to play Ryan – he became a dad, that’s why I played Curtis (Jones). Then in the first Premier League game he was suspended as he made a dive for the first yellow (against Crystal Palace in the last game of last season when Gravenberch was later sent off). You know what I want to say now? I want to talk about the last game when I saw a dive (from Vinicius Jnr), which 100% should have been a second yellow, which I never hear as well about how many referee decisions have gone against us in the last six or seven weeks, but… now I’ve said that…”
Slot’s candid remarks highlight the challenges he has faced in managing a team in transition. The influx of new players requires time for adaptation, and the lack of a full pre-season has further complicated matters. Slot’s decision to rely less on new signings initially, while focusing on players who have maintained fitness, has started to pay off with recent victories. However, the pressure remains, as Liverpool prepares for their upcoming match at the Etihad. Alexander Isak is expected to be on the bench, while Cody Gakpo, Milos Kerkez, and Curtis Jones are all vying for a starting position, reflecting the ongoing competition within the squad.
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