Manager Jurgen Klopp has been candid about Liverpool’s form, this time addressing criticism of current manager Arne Slott during the Reds’ yet another defeat against Nottingham Forest.
Manager Jurgen Klopp has already rushed to Arne Slott’s defense as Liverpool’s nightmarish run continues. The Reds’ 3-0 humiliation at home to Nottingham Forest on Saturday meant what some thought was a temporary fix has now become a full-blown crisis.
Liverpool lost 3-0 to Manchester City before the November international break, but the stunning defeat extends their dismal run to six defeats in their last seven games this season. The reigning Premier League champions’ form plummeted after a 2-1 defeat at Crystal Palace in late September.
With the team currently in the bottom half of the table, Slott’s hopes of defending his Premier League title have been dashed, while the Dutchman is now under intense pressure to change his fortunes and avoid something that would have been unthinkable just two months ago: his possible sacking.
But former manager Klopp’s comments from earlier in the season, when Liverpool were starting to see their teeth under Slott, have resurfaced, with the German calling for calm and patience.
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Klopp urged fans to give his successor time as the team is in a transition period after a summer of record spending in the transfer market.
Reflecting on his first transition a year ago, Klopp recently spoke on the podcast The Diary of a CEO: “We had a lot of contact after that. He’s a really good guy. He brought out the best in this team and they became champions in an unbelievable way.”
“It’s not about Arn showing the world what he’s capable of, it’s about getting the best out of the team and that’s exactly what he did.”
“Change always has an impact, and change always takes time.
“If he keeps exactly the same team as last season, let’s say Darwin Nunez is still there, Luis Diaz is still there, they start playing and they have problems and (people) say, ‘We need a change.’
“We’ve got new players coming in now and they’re really good players. It’s not going well at the moment.”
Klopp summed up his thoughts in three words, adding: “We need time to develop,” before saying: “No one can change that. People need time to adapt. It’s all good.”
Despite such a reputation, there are some things that need to be addressed immediately with slots. Certain decisions have frustrated supporters, such as keeping record signing Alexander Isak up front instead of Hugo Ekitike and the lack of balance in the midfield of the side.
Defensive struggles in particular have plagued Liverpool since the start of the season, with Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk both surprisingly out of form. Injuries to Conor Bradley and Jeremy Frimpong meant Dominik Szoboszlai was forced to play out of his right-back position, but many could not understand why the Dutchman refused to start Joe Gomez.
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