Liverpool boss Arne Slot. Photo: Kelvin Lister-Stuttardplaceholder image
Liverpool boss Arne Slot. Photo: Kelvin Lister-Stuttard
Arne Slot has seen signs of progress recently but the Liverpool boss has still had to face some difficult questions from the press.
Arne Slot has cut a frustrate figure this season with Liverpool, even during the clubs longest unbeaten run of the season there have been question marks about style of play and whether or not he is the right man for the job.
To make matters worse, former Anfield favourite Xabi Alonso is unemployed and available with many of a red persuasion wanting Richard Hughes to make a change in the dugout to avoid missing out in the summer.
The irony is, fans are finally seeing the best of Florian Wirtz just as those around him are struggling to find their best form. Wirtz, of course, being a player who Alonso played a key role in developing and helping to become the player that he is today.
Simon Jordan reacts to spiky Arne Slot press conference
Ahead of Wednesday’s win over Marseille, Slot had been asked about whether or not he fears for his job amid reports that he could be sacked, as well as the prospect of Alonso replacing him. The Dutchman treated the question with the contempt that it deserved with Simon Jordan on TalkSPORT suggesting that the Reds boss gave an astute answer when asked if he was accommodating the journalist in question: “Not really, because the last part of the question gave him an out from the first part. Because the first part of the question was a slightly difficult part, which is, what do you say to the fans that are booing your style of play and are looking at the fact that Xabi Alonso is available and could be potentially taking your job?
“Now, if he left it there, then whilst I don't like the question for the manager, it's a difficult question for him to answer, it's a legitimate question. The other part is, as he called you and talked about it, is it's absurd, which is what he focused on. It's brought him out of the first part of the question, which allowed him to look like he was accommodating a question rather than actually dealing with the central part, which is, people are not potentially looking at Liverpool and thinking, this is going the right way, and the team are playing the right way, and seemingly Liverpool fans are not that impressed with the current form of the Liverpool side.
“You pick up on some of the things that the fans are saying, which is apparently singing about attack, attack, attack, it's a direct reference to the passive nature of the way Slot has set them up this season. So he got out of that question by appearing to be accommodating the ridiculous part of the question. Which is clever in itself. Which was a gift for him, because the journalist gave him a great question and then took it away from him.”
Can Slot get Liverpool firing again?
Slot is experienced enough now as a manager to know when he is being set up. Jordan is right, the question that would have been asked would have elicited a more inciteful response had the journalist in question just focussed on how fans have been reacting during and after games in recent weeks.
Results have been more stable, however, there have also been a lot of poor performances against teams in the bottom half of the table. They have had every right to be unhappy given the players at Slot’s disposal, although the win over Marseille will lift the mood for a while.
To register over 30 shots at goal against Burnley and be so dominant for the first-half only to drop points, isn't good enough, and it isn't the first time that it has happened this season either. In making Liverpool more robust, Slot has also made Liverpool a team with players who aren't capable of taking risks or of providing a moment of magic out of nothing aside from Dominik Szoboszlai's long-range shooting.
He will be hoping that Mohamed Salah returns from the African Cup of Nations with a fresh outlook, keen to end his career on Merseyside on a high and with his shooting boots on the right feet.
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