Liverpool’s poor run of form continued at the weekend, but Arne Slott confirmed it worked with wins against Aston Villa and Real Madrid and is ready to change approach
Arne Slott admits he is open to less possession in order to get back to winning ways, citing Liverpool’s successes over Aston Villa and Real Madrid.
The Reds have been in dire form, losing 3-0 to Nottingham Forest at Anfield in their most recent game. They have lost eight of their last 11 games, twice against both Manchester clubs, Galatasaray, Brentford and Crystal Palace.
Despite their slump, they were able to take a breather by winning consecutive games against Villa and Real within a few days. During those matches, Liverpool had less possession than their opponents.
In other games, the Reds were the dominant team with the ball, but struggled to take advantage of it, with Slott appearing willing to give the ball away more in an attempt to find a winning formula.
“You’re not defending for 90 minutes, just a few minutes. I’ve never coached a team that holds the ball for so long, defends only once, and concedes a goal.”
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“Perhaps the answer is that we had less possession. That was the case against Real Madrid and against Villa, and we won both games. In the moment, we have to defend better. Against City, we lacked the intensity in some of the duels.”
Liverpool have already suffered six defeats in the Premier League, and their hopes of winning the Carabao Cup have ended. After a summer of record spending, bringing in the likes of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, it looks set to be the worst title defense in Premier League history, but they have been underwhelming so far.
Slott became champion in his debut year, a feat only achieved by the likes of Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti, but finds things much more difficult in his second year. As the Dutchman emphasized his ambition, he has no intention of living on last year’s achievements.
“It has nothing to do with this situation,” he said. “I have to prove myself every day at this level. I can’t say I won the league. I have to win the next game, for me and for the players. That’s the environment I want to work in. I don’t know if I need to prove myself to the fans as much as I need to prove myself to myself.”
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