Ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League clash with Qarabag, Arne Slot addressed the heat on him at this moment.
It’s crunch time in the league phase, with all 36 teams kicking off their final fixture at 8pm on Wednesday night.
Liverpool’s qualification prospects are looking good. A win will guarantee a place in the top 8, and a draw should be enough to avoid the play-offs as well.
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Will Liverpool beat Qarabag and qualify for the last-16?
The Azerbaijani's have a poor record against English teams
Qarabag players line up for a squad picture before their UEFA Champions League match against Ajax at Tofiq Bahramov Stadium (Credit: Getty Images/Resul Rehimov/Anadolu).
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Resul Rehimov/Anadolu
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Anfield is sure to be hopping despite some recent frostiness. A Champions League night with real stakes never fails to rouse the Kop.
If the result doesn’t go our way, though, Slot thinks it’s inevitable what will happen.
Arne Slot thinks quieting the outside noise at Liverpool is impossible
Slot has been subject to occasional boos and plenty of criticism from the media.
That hasn’t gone over his head, despite how relaxed a character he is.
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In his pre-match press conference, he remarked: “It is going to be really difficult to quiet the outside noise with the position we are in.
Arne Slot during Bournemouth v Liverpool - Premier League
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
“Even if we win a few games, every loss the noise will come back. It is impossible to shut down the noise at a club like this if you are not competing to win the league.”
The pressure is on Slot right now, and he has to figure out how to address this ‘impossible’ task.
If Liverpool could go on a run of five or six wins and then lose a game, then the backlash wouldn’t be as inevitable as it is currently.
Liverpool can’t afford to slip out of Champions League Top 8
Every team with a puncher’s chance of securing automatic qualification to the knockout stages wants it badly, but it’s a need for Liverpool.
Only 19 players are available against Qarabag, with Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konate missing from training.
Liverpool are working with a skeleton crew in defence, and there is always the risk of more injuries with more games.
Who starts alongside Van Dijk against Qarabag?
Endo? Gravenberch? One of the youngsters? 👀
Liverpool’s centre-back issues worsen 😬
Virgil van Dijk for Liverpool
Photo by Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images
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Those two play-off legs would put a strain on an already-bare squad, and make it extremely difficult to keep up momentum in the Champions League while also holding on to league position to make it to the competition again next season.
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