Honest yet a sense of defiance from Slotpublished at 13:36 GMT
13:36 GMT
Sunderland v Liverpool (Wed, 20:15 GMT)
Aadam Patel
Football Reporter
This was a press conference where Arne Slot mentioned the “setbacks”, “hits” and “bad luck” that his Liverpool side have faced this season.
There have been plenty of reasons, from long-term absentees to late goals to the time it has taken the new signings to adapt to life in the Premier League.
“Even if we sign a player (Jeremy Jacquet) and he’s not even playing for us he gets injured,” the Liverpool boss said, after Jacquet, who will join for a fee of £60m in the summer, sustained a shoulder injury on the weekend while playing for Rennes.
Yet Slot stressed that the overriding focus should remain on improving their performances, even if at times it feels like he has “tried many different things”.
Image source, Getty Images
“The question is are we unlucky or is it part of who we are? That is something we can only find out in the upcoming three to four months,” Slot stressed.
It didn’t feel he was making excuses – rather, Slot was refreshingly honest about the range of challenges his side have faced and admitting their flaws.
There was a little smile when he admitted that this is the toughest season he’s ever had in his career. Within that, a glimpse too into how challenging everything has been for him at one of the biggest clubs in the world.
Defeat at Sunderland on Wednesday will only amplify the pressure on the Dutchman. Like he said, it would not be acceptable for Liverpool to miss out on the Champions League.
But there was a sense of defiance and belief too within Slot, who still believes his Liverpool can do “special” things this season. If not, then the voices around his future at the club will only grow.