Richard Hughes has conducted a rare interview and seems to have communicated his support for Arne Slot to continue in his role as Liverpool manager.
The 2024-25 season has been a turbulent one for Liverpool. After winning the first five games of the season in dramatic fashion, the wheels have threatened to come off at times.
Their record in the Premier League is worrying. They are sixth in the table as things stand with 11 wins, six draws and seven defeats.
Having been eliminated from the Carabao Cup, they remain in the FA Cup and are through to the Champions League knockout phase where the truth about this squad will likely be most exposed.
Despite speculation over Xabi Alonso and the Liverpool job, it would now appear that FSG are giving him time – until the end of the season in all likelihood – to get things back on track.
For your reading convenience, I have broken the two main segments of the interview into sections to help unpack the quotes with Richard Hughes.
Richard Hughes speaks at length about Arne Slot
Speaking on the latest episode of the The Reds Roundtable, Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes has seemingly looked to make it clear that tactics and matchday-related responsibilities lie exclusively with Arne Slot and his coaching staff.
Hughes has also gone to great pains to make it clear that FSG is doing everything possible to support Slot despite the disappointing return on the £460m summer transfer spending spree.
Hughes on Slot’s role
“Fundamentally, there’s the understanding for both parties that everyone at wide, everything that involves match day team selection tactics, that is always the manager/head coach,” said Hughes
“That’s their domain and I think it’s very important not to spill into that unless of course we talk about football and of course we talk about performances but I always let Arne lead that. So I don’t think naturally within a conversation, I will come up with an opinion. But you have to have an opinion… you can’t shy away from that.”
Hughes unpacks his sporting director role and how he supports Slot day to day
Speaking about how he supports Slot everyday, Hughes said: “Once you have got the right person and believe in that person, the judgment is not something that’s happening definitely not on a daily basis. You are working to achieve something together and did it help we came in at the same time? Possibly, probably.
“It’s more important that we have synergy right from the first moment, understanding who he is as a football manager, how he wants to work, trying your best – it’s not always possible to put them in the best possible position to have all the tools they require.
“That’s what I feel my job is then, it’s not just a supportive role where you’re absorbing communication. You’re then [going] what can we do about it, how does it fit into the club ethos and try to generally put this man in as good a position as possible to do what he’s done since he started being a head coach.
“There’s great humility about Arne and a great communicator. He’s come to a country and constantly has to do interview, perhaps more than training sessions at times, it feels. That humility, you can’t kid it. Absolutely no ego, really high work ethic, drive and motivation, which very much fits into the club ethos.”
What has Arne Slot said about his relationship with Richard Hughes?
Slot has already spoken about his working relationship with Hughes, and says that he enjoys having day-to-day communication with his sporting director.
On his relationship with Hughes, Slot said: “We have spoken almost on a daily basis since we started working together. What I really like working with a sporting director is that when I need him, he’s there for me but you don’t constantly feel all the decisions you’re making, he’s judging them.
“Maybe he does but he finds a really good way of hiding that! You want the back-up and advice needed but don’t want eyes on top of you constantly and Richard finds that balance really good.”
Liverpool spent £460m in the summer and have completed a deal to sign Jeremy Jacquet for £60m at the end of the season.