Arne Slot admits Liverpool can be 'drab' & 'boring' but insists Reds are trying to get back to their attacking best amid struggle for form ahead of Arsenal showdown
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has admitted he partly agrees with comments that his team are 'drab' and 'boring', as the Reds prepare for their huge showdown with Premier League leaders Arsenal on Thursday night. The Dutchman has come under criticism for how his team play, and while there were no real arguments from the manager, he does claim he would word it differently. The Reds travel to north London trailing the Gunners by 14 points, and could see that deficit stretched to 17 with a loss. The current Premier League champions did hand Mikel Arteta's side a rare loss earlier in the season at Anfield, but they have faltered in their attempts to keep pace with them since then. Liverpool picked up just one win in seven games across September, a period where most of the gap between them and the frontrunners formed. November saw the club fare better, with four draws and four wins in eight games, but it has not been the pristine Liverpool we have been so used to seeing in recent years. Stalemates against Leeds and Fulham have seen eyebrows raised about Slot's style of play, something he addressed during his most recent press conference.Speaking ahead of the Arsenal game, he said: "I find it really hard to hear but it’s not that I would completely disagree. I would use different words and I would take certain things into account. I want to win as many trophies as I can but I think I am also known for the fact that my teams always try to play attacking football and can only say they’re trying to do so."But having a lot of ball possession, I’ve said many times, doesn’t mean you play attacking football - that does mean you try to play attacking football because you try to win the ball back as soon as you can and when you have it, you try to create something. We are struggling to create a lot of chances. But I’ve said many times, we are not the only team that struggles to create a lot of chances. I don’t think the number we create is that different to some other teams that are doing really well."But I don’t like to hear this, of course. One thing I would like is us winning a lot of games but also us playing an attractive style of football which we have also done this season. We have to find a way against teams [who play] in not an attractive way, which is, of course, maybe even smart for them to do. We have to find answers to that and that’s what we haven’t found enough yet, but we are working every single day to improve that."Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!Despite the current struggles, Slot refused to back down on the claim that his side can achieve something special this season. They are still in the running for the Champions League spots, and are still heavily backed to compete until the latter stages of the Champions League. He added: "Where are we? I think I’ve said so many times that the answer to that question is that we aren’t where we want to be, but I feel we have a very talented squad. If everyone’s available and ready, then I think we can do special things. We’ve also shown that this season because we’ve got quite a lot of impressive wins, but we’ve also had unimpressive draws and losses. We haven’t had the consistency but we’ve already beaten some very good teams, so that tells you the talent is definitely there but the consistency isn’t."I am really happy with the squad we have. All the decisions made last summer and the summer before are completely aligned with me, Richard and the ownership. This season has shown how talented this group is and if everyone is available how good a team we can be. This club is in a very good place if everyone is available - and we are getting stronger and stronger - for the short-term future. But definitely also for the mid to long-term future."Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reportingLiverpool have always been associated with high standards, and that will likely never change. However, it is clear that their current struggles are not a quick fix. This season, they have shown promise at times, but not much of the quality that led them to the title last term. That could change with a huge performance and result against Arsenal.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has admitted he partly agrees with comments that his team are 'drab' and 'boring', as the Reds prepare for their huge showdown with Premier League leaders Arsenal on Thursday night. The Dutchman has come under criticism for how his team play, and while there were no real arguments from the manager, he does claim he would word it differently. The Reds travel to north London trailing the Gunners by 14 points, and could see that deficit stretched to 17 with a loss. The current Premier League champions did hand Mikel Arteta's side a rare loss earlier in the season at Anfield, but they have faltered in their attempts to keep pace with them since then. Liverpool picked up just one win in seven games across September, a period where most of the gap between them and the frontrunners formed. November saw the club fare better, with four draws and four wins in eight games, but it has not been the pristine Liverpool we have been so used to seeing in recent years. Stalemates against Leeds and Fulham have seen eyebrows raised about Slot's style of play, something he addressed during his most recent press conference.Speaking ahead of the Arsenal game, he said: "I find it really hard to hear but it’s not that I would completely disagree. I would use different words and I would take certain things into account. I want to win as many trophies as I can but I think I am also known for the fact that my teams always try to play attacking football and can only say they’re trying to do so."But having a lot of ball possession, I’ve said many times, doesn’t mean you play attacking football - that does mean you try to play attacking football because you try to win the ball back as soon as you can and when you have it, you try to create something. We are struggling to create a lot of chances. But I’ve said many times, we are not the only team that struggles to create a lot of chances. I don’t think the number we create is that different to some other teams that are doing really well."But I don’t like to hear this, of course. One thing I would like is us winning a lot of games but also us playing an attractive style of football which we have also done this season. We have to find a way against teams [who play] in not an attractive way, which is, of course, maybe even smart for them to do. We have to find answers to that and that’s what we haven’t found enough yet, but we are working every single day to improve that."Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!Despite the current struggles, Slot refused to back down on the claim that his side can achieve something special this season. They are still in the running for the Champions League spots, and are still heavily backed to compete until the latter stages of the Champions League. He added: "Where are we? I think I’ve said so many times that the answer to that question is that we aren’t where we want to be, but I feel we have a very talented squad. If everyone’s available and ready, then I think we can do special things. We’ve also shown that this season because we’ve got quite a lot of impressive wins, but we’ve also had unimpressive draws and losses. We haven’t had the consistency but we’ve already beaten some very good teams, so that tells you the talent is definitely there but the consistency isn’t."I am really happy with the squad we have. All the decisions made last summer and the summer before are completely aligned with me, Richard and the ownership. This season has shown how talented this group is and if everyone is available how good a team we can be. This club is in a very good place if everyone is available - and we are getting stronger and stronger - for the short-term future. But definitely also for the mid to long-term future."Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reportingLiverpool have always been associated with high standards, and that will likely never change. However, it is clear that their current struggles are not a quick fix. This season, they have shown promise at times, but not much of the quality that led them to the title last term. That could change with a huge performance and result against Arsenal.
