In the 5th round of the Champions League group stage, Liverpool host PSV Eindhoven. Ahead of the game, Liverpool manager Arne Slot addressed the current low morale among fans.
Liverpool have lost 6 out of their last 7 Premier League matches and 8 of their last 11 games across all competitions.
Slot: “It’s almost absurd. This is something I never thought I’d have to face, at any club, let alone when you’re the manager of Liverpool. It’s incredible. It’s a surprise for the club, for me, and for everyone. But we also work at a club where if you really have to face this kind of situation, this is probably the best place to be. Because at a team like this, the more difficult it gets, the more united we are and the harder we work to achieve Liverpool’s usual set goals.”
Slot has canceled his planned attendance at the North West Football Writers' Association Awards in Manchester on Sunday to devote more time to finding solutions to lift Liverpool out of their slump. He was originally scheduled to collect the “Manager of the Year” award at the ceremony.
Slot said: “It’s not hard for me to stay calm; it’s my character. Most people would describe me as a calm person. Of course, this situation is not pleasant at all. Losing is never nice, especially at a club like Liverpool.”
“To be honest, with our tactical arrangements and the quality of our players, I really didn’t expect to end up in this position. No one expected us to lose this many. You can talk about the stats: we’ve lost 6 out of our last 7 Premier League games; but I can also say that we’ve lost 2 out of our last 4, and we’ve won 3 in the Champions League. But this is still below the level required by Liverpool. I will of course take responsibility and feel guilty about it.”
Despite winning the Premier League title in his first season in charge, Slot says he has to prove himself every day.
Slot said: “You can’t say ‘we won the league’ or ‘we did this and that’ and then everything is okay. If you work at this level, the next game is always the most important, and you have to prove yourself time and time again.”
“Whether it’s me, the players, or anyone working in this environment, you can’t let up. You have to keep moving forward, especially when things are not going well. I don’t know if I need to prove myself to the fans, but I have to prove myself to myself, to the players, and to everyone involved at the club.”
