Image Credits: Imago Images
Liverpool’s hopes of nudging their way into the Premier League’s top three came undone in chaotic fashion at Old Trafford on Sunday, as Arne Slot’s side were undone 3-2 by Manchester United in a result that had the Dutchman visibly seething in his post-match presser.
It marked an eighteenth defeat of the season for Liverpool, and the post-mortem has been every bit as brutal as you’d expect.
Slot himself pointed the finger at “stupid” individual errors and what he felt were questionable VAR decisions, but the wider conversation has quickly shifted to something far more uncomfortable: the preparation, or lack thereof, going into the fixture.
Liverpool had headed to Manchester on the back of three consecutive league wins, including a hard-fought victory over Crystal Palace at Anfield, and on paper the Reds looked like the side carrying the momentum. Instead, what showed up at Old Trafford was a flat, sluggish Liverpool that never really found its rhythm – a performance Slot himself admitted lacked the intensity required for a fixture of that magnitude.
And now, fresh details have emerged about exactly what the squad were up to in the days leading up to the Old Trafford trip.
James Pearce of the Athletic reported that the squad were given off time in Europe before the Manchester United defeat:
“It’s fair to ask questions about the preparations. A lot of the players had enjoyed mini breaks in Europe after being given some time off after the win over Crystal Palace. If Slot thought that a breather would do them good then he was mistaken. Instead they were lethargic and lacked intensity.”
The idea that players were jetting off for European getaways in the lead-up to a fixture of this magnitude- a derby, against a resurgent United side, with European qualification still mathematically alive — feels jarring, particularly given the context of a season already stained by eighteen defeats.
Of course, there was mitigating factors like Alexander Isak’s injury, but with the season fizzling toward an underwhelming finish, questions over the manager’s job in the summer will continue to come in.