Liverpool manager Arne Slot shared his reaction after their 4-0 defeat in the FA Cup quarterfinal at Manchester City on Saturday, and the overwhelming emotion was pain.
The Dutch coach saw his side start well but they couldn’t take their chances and then made some big defensive mistakes which were punished.
A huge portion of Liverpool’s away fans left well before full time to sum up their current feelings on their team as they’re struggling to finish in the top five after a big wobble before the international break in the league and they are now out of the FA Cup in demoralizing fashion.
Mohamed Salah also had a penalty kick saved at 4-0 to put a bow on Liverpool’s miserable trip to Manchester, as this defeat pretty much summed up all of their main issues this season.
Here is the latest Arne Slot reaction from the Etihad after Liverpool’s damaging defeat, as his side have to regroup fast ahead of their Champions League quarterfinal first leg clash at PSG on Wednesday.
Arne Slot reaction
“Very disappointing. Not only to be out but also the manner, the result, the score,” Slot told TNT Sports in the UK. “Another big disappointment for us.”
Slot was asked what was missing from Liverpool’s performance and he said there were similar problems to the ones they’ve had all season, not converting chances into goals, especially in the first half.
“I think it was an equal game up until they scored the penalty and the last time here we conceded just before half time and today again, that was mentally not easy, you try to pick things up at half time. But 5-10 minutes later they score twice and what happens afterwards, okay we get a penalty and get chances, but that doesn’t tell me anything. First 35 minutes I saw a team that I would like to see but the 20 minutes afterwards we have to defend so, so, so, so much better than we were doing today.”
Asked about their Champions League hopes and it being their last chance of a trophy this season, Slot did not play down their trip to PSG on Wednesday and its importance.
“Very big and very important,” Slot added. “It is not every season you play the quarterfinal of the Champions League. We are really looking forward to playing against a very good side again, like today. That is not the only objective we have, we want to qualify for the Champions League next season as well. There is still a lot for us to play for, although in general we feel like we’ve had a lot of setbacks and disappointments. That is part of being a football player, a human being. It cannot always go positive and you have to be here and stand up when things are not so positive or negative, and that is what it is about now. Players that have shown so much quality in the past now have a fantastic chance to show that against PSG as well.”
Dominik Szoboszlai said the following to TNT Sports in the UK, which is very concerning: “The fighting spirit wasn’t there enough, the mentality wasn’t there enough. None of us were there to be honest as much as we could. It’s a hard time but we have to stick together. On Wednesday there is another chance but we have to get in our head this is not the season we would like to end.”