Arne Slot Manager
Arne Slot has provided a candid assessment of his team’s recent performances, highlighting both the strengths and challenges they have faced this season. Despite a solid defensive record, Slot acknowledged the team’s struggle to convert possession into goals, which has been a recurring theme this season.
Arne Slot said: “But I think it is clear and obvious that we hardly concede chances any more. At this moment in time, against the opponents we had in the last seven or eight games, but for me it is also clear and obvious that we find it quite hard to generate enough chances for all the ball possession we have and that is not new for us this season. What the players try to do is they keep on trying, they bring the ball towards the wingers, they make inside runs, they play and move, they do all the things. But sometimes you need a kind of magic to unlock a game or a set-piece and if that then happens then all of a sudden everything looks much nicer but that is not our season until now.”
Slot elaborated on the team’s current standing in the league, acknowledging that their position is justified given the performances of other top teams. He noted the narrow margins that have influenced their points tally and emphasized the importance of improving set-pieces to gain additional points.
Slot added: “Yes [fourth is fair] although the margins are small. So that could have influenced us having three, four, five, six more points, maybe. But, yeah, like today (Thursday) and like so many other games, if we would have done a bit better in set-pieces and we would have had five, six, seven points more as well so that could have changed it a little, but from open play, from where we are, when I look at Arsenal, I look at City and I look at us, it’s fair that we are not above them. That we are so many points behind them, there are reasons for that, which I just explained, but it wouldn’t be fair if we were above them, for the way we have played.”
Slot also reflected on the competitive nature of the league, acknowledging the gap between his team and the top two contenders. He expressed the need for continuous improvement to close this gap and achieve more consistent results.
Slot continued: “Realistically I think there are two teams, with Villa being really really close to them because Arsenal, against Villa, they created a bit of a gap to Villa, but realistically those two teams are quite far away from us and we should not look at those two at this moment in time. We have had our struggles throughout, we started really well in terms of results, games were really close, then we had a phase of the season where games were still really close but we were constantly unlucky, now we have been seven or eight games in a row unbeaten but if you say this you feel like, ‘they are flying through the league’, but that is not what we are doing. Every single game we play it’s hard work, it’s two teams quite close to each other, we are mainly the team that is probably better than the other team but not enough.”
In his analysis, Slot emphasized the importance of pushing beyond the 20% performance difference that often dictates match outcomes. He remains optimistic that with continued effort, his team can achieve a breakthrough and improve their league standing.
Slot concluded: “We are constantly within this 20% difference and if you are inside this 20% difference then going to the floor or not means a lot for the results. And I will keep pushing and the players will keep pushing to get to a situation where we are more than that 20% and we can make the difference bigger and hopefully we can find a moment where we can fly through the season. But for the first 19 games it has been a constant battle, close to each other, sometimes a bit lucky, sometimes a bit unlucky season.”
Overall, Slot’s insights reveal a team that is defensively solid but still seeking the attacking flair needed to climb higher in the league standings.
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