Liverpool manager Arne Slot reacts during the Real Madrid game (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Liverpool manager Arne Slot has rather bizarrely stated that it helps him when his opponents play in a style that he’s expecting.
The Dutch tactician has struggled to replicate the strong start he made at Anfield last season, with Liverpool already losing four games in the Premier League, conceding 14 goals.
At numerous times this season, Slot has spoken about teams changing their playing style against his side, compared to how they set up in his first few months in charge.
Bizarrely enough, it seems the Reds boss still feels this is an issue ahead of the upcoming game with Manchester City.
Arne Slot on Liverpool opponents’ tactics
See below as Slot says he felt it helped Liverpool that both Aston Villa and Real Madrid played in a way that they were expecting, whereas other teams that have beaten his team recently used a different style of play…
? Arne Slot: We beat Villa and Real Madrid because they used the tactics we expect.
What does this guy think a manager's job is…? ? pic.twitter.com/JNOb7PHJiQ
— CaughtOffside (@caughtoffside) November 7, 2025
“It wasn’t a surprise for me how both games (against Villa and Madrid) went. It was helpful for us that the team did what we expected them to do,” Slot said in his press conference this morning.
“Because in eight out of the ten games I think we’ve played this season, we faced a different playing style than all the games these teams played before.
“But Villa and Real Madrid did what we could expect and I think that’s always helpful.”
Liverpool players lining up ahead of the Real Madrid game
Liverpool players lining up ahead of the Real Madrid game (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Why can’t Arne Slot adapt his tactics?
This doesn’t seem like an ideal thing for a top Premier League manager to be saying, as he surely needs to be prepared for the fact that teams might do things he’s not expecting.
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Of course it’s going to be easier if your opponents play to your strengths, but that’s surely not going to happen very often, especially if you admit that trying to adapt to the unexpected basically makes life impossible for you!
What do you make of Slot’s quotes here? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!