Arne Slott spoke about a number of topics during his press conference ahead of Liverpool’s game against Man City, including Andy Robertson’s future, Dominik Szoboszlai’s form and Florian Wirtz’s best position.
Arn Slott has left hints about Andy Robertson’s future at Liverpool and also explained what the Reds need to do to get the best out of Florian Wirtz ahead of their trip to Manchester City. The reigning Premier League champions travel to the Etihad on Sunday for their final game before the November international break.
Liverpool bounced back from a disastrous seven-six defeat, with the Reds bouncing back with morale-boosting wins at both Aston Villa and Real Madrid.
A win against City on Sunday could see them leapfrog their rivals in the table and move into second place heading into the international break.
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In his pre-match press conference, Slott provided an update on Alexander Isak’s injury situation and also answered questions about the excellent recent form of Robertson and Dominik Szoboszlai.
He was also asked about Wiltz’s best role, playing on the left wing against Real Madrid. So, with that in mind, Mirror Football picked out the best from the Dutch player’s conversation with the media on Friday morning…
robertson contract tips
Slott downplayed the significance of vice-captain Robertson becoming the 30th man on the wrong side after forcing his way back into Liverpool’s starting XI.
The 31-year-old, who was offered a move away from the Reds in the summer, is out of contract at the end of the season and his future has been the subject of speculation as a result.
He started the season ahead of summer signing Milos Kerkes, but regained his place with recent wins over Aston Villa and Real Madrid.
Speaking ahead of the trip to Man City, Slott gave a hint at Robertson’s future, praising the defender and saying:
“He’s done really well in the last three games because he’s played three games in seven days. Against Palace he was sent off after 60 or 65 minutes, but it’s difficult for players to play three games in seven days, so I was very happy to see him play almost 90 minutes in the last game.”
“Eight or nine days is already a big difference compared to seven days. But he did well, as well as the team did. It really helps every individual when the team plays its best, and I think that’s what we did in the last two games.”
“He was calm on the ball and did his job defensively. I’m very happy with his performance in the second and maybe third innings, but the 3-0 defeat against Palace wasn’t our best game of the season.
“You can’t say anything if you’re over 30. If you look at Virgil, Mo and Robbo, who was over 30 last season as well, all three of them were able to win the Premier League and all three played a big role in the Premier League.”
“If a 24-year-old doesn’t play very well, no one talks about age. When a 32, 33, 34-year-old player has one or two bad games, people start talking about age. That’s how it is in this business. But 32 is not old for a football player in my opinion.”
High praise for Mr. Szoboszlai
Liverpool’s return to form over the past week coincided with Slott’s decision to move Szoboszlai back to the No. 10 position.
When the Reds head coach was asked if even club legend Steven Gerrard would be proud of the Hungarian’s performance against Real Madrid, Slott admitted he has exceeded his own high standards so far this season.
“That’s probably the best compliment for him! (Steven Gerrard’s performance against Real Madrid would have made him proud),” he said.
“I think he’s been outstanding all season, but these two games gave the team and him even more strength.
“I think Dominic has a lot of qualities, but one of them is also his work without the ball. I like his work without the ball in every game, but in the last two games he was probably even better than his own standards.”
Explanation of the Wirtz Plan
Wirtz may have primarily played as a number 10 since joining Liverpool in the summer, but he impressed on the left against Real Madrid.
The German has been on the bench in recent top-flight games against Everton, Chelsea, Manchester United and Aston Villa, but drew attention after returning to the starting lineup against the La Liga giants.
However, it remains to be seen whether he will retain his place against Man City on Sunday, although Slott downplayed the importance of the German’s exact starting position, insisting instead that it was more important for Liverpool to have the ball in their midfielders in the final third.
He said: “Florian can play in multiple positions. He can also play on the left wing and he almost always did that at Leverkusen when Xabi Alonso came and introduced the 3-4-3 system.”
“Before that, he was mainly playing as a number 10 in a 4-3-3. I think it’s more about putting him in the position he’s good at, rather than us needing to focus on whether he’s a number 10, 11 or eight.”
“We want him to be around the middle of the 18-yard box, maybe a little more to the left or a little more to the right, and have him create a lot of the chances that he’s already created for us.”
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