Liverpool face Arsenal on Sunday in a mouthwatering showdown between this season's title favourites, with Arne Slot having explained why, despite winning last season's title, the Reds had to make changes this summer
Liverpool boss Arne Slot doesn't want last season to be 'romanticised' too much
Liverpool boss Arne Slot doesn't want last season to be 'romanticised' too much
(Image: PA)
Liverpool won the title at a canter last season but Arne Slot saw enough that made him believe they needed change this summer. Ahead of the first blockbuster battle in this campaign’s Premier League title race against Arsenal, the Reds boss reflected that they cannot ‘romanticise’ everything about their glory from the previous season.
Liverpool have more than tweaked their squad since they lifted their 20th league crown in May. Some of it forced, some of it optional. They have spent around £300m already with potentially another £150m to go on Alexander Isak and Marc Guehi before Monday evening. Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, Hugo Ekitike and Giovanni Leoni are their outfield recruits. But they’ve also brought in £227m in player sales which shows the turnaround.
It also means new players have to adapt. Such as record buy Wirtz, who has taken Dominik Szoboszlai’s position in the No.10 slot with the latter moving deeper into midfield. Szoboszlai even starred at right back against Newcastle on Monday and could play there again tomorrow. But Wirtz is one example of a different profile playing in a position which needs adapting for those around him.
“The change is, and I tell it sometimes to the players as well, that not every game last season was Tottenham away or West Ham away,” said Slot. “Always if you win something, everybody's only looking back at some great attacks or some great wins, but the amount of times we struggled last season in a game of football were a lot.
“ Wolves, we didn't even have a shot on target second half in a home game; away, we won it lucky, though the penalty was correctly given. I can go on and on and on - Crystal Palace away 1-0 when they had a big chance at the end.
“To romanticise last season as much as we do - and sometimes we make this mistake inside the building as well, I mean the players - is incorrect. Last season was, every single time, a struggle, most wins were only by one goal and we had to fight really hard for it.
“We said it last season 100 times, we didn't win the league as City did it for so many years with every single game being 4-0 up at half-time. We had to fight really hard for it.”
Florian Wirtz is the star name signed by Liverpool this summer
Hugo Ekitike celebrates
Hugo Ekitike has been shining so far(Image: PA)
Liverpool are obviously not the only ones to spend big. Tomorrow’s opponents at Anfield are nearing a £300m spend themselves with much less going out the door. Both teams go into the game with a 100 per cent record from their opening two games.
“We need to improve but we even had to improve compared to last season and we need to improve because the competition has improved,” continued Slot.
One player who maybe has not improved for the Reds is defender Ibrahima Konate, which is another reason they’re in the market for Guehi. The France defender was at fault for goals in the wins over Bournemouth and Newcastle but Slot cites the fact he no longer has Trent Alexander-Arnold beside him.
“I think he has things he can improve,” he said. “But for him starting this season with a different full-back next to him probably is different as well.
“He and the team had Ryan [Gravenberch] in front of them for the first time against Newcastle, so I think it's partly also adjustment to each other. And partly, I think the biggest strength of Ibou is of course his defensive quality.”
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