Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has responded to claims from Wayne Rooney he doesn't have the presence to be Reds boss
Liverpool boss Arne Slot
Liverpool boss Arne Slot(Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
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Arne Slot has dismissed claims from Wayne Rooney he doesn't have the "aura" to be Liverpool boss by pointing out such complaints weren't being made when winning the Premier League last season.
Slot has been under pressure for much of the campaign after a difficult title defence for the Reds in which they presently find themselves outside the top four and the automatic Champions League qualification places.
It prompted ex-England international Rooney to this week compare the Liverpool boss negatively to predecessor Jurgen Klopp and state Slot doesn't have the required presence to do the job.
But when asked for his view on the comments, Slot said: "Comparing people with each other is something everyone has the right to do, but is that fair to compare people with each other? We are all different.
"The only thing we have in common, Jurgen and me, is that we both won the league - and that's not too bad, is it?
"I think the more a manager wins, the more aura he has. That's in general something.
"I don't know if you agree with Wayne Rooney by the way, but if this would be the general opinion, then I think people would probably tell you last season I had more aura than this season. But maybe he's the only one who has this opinion, I don't know, you tell me. It's the first time that I heard this.
"But I think it's fair to say that Jurgen definitely has aura, yeah. I can talk about him, not about myself, but he definitely had that. But a winning manager has an aura as well."
Slot, whose Liverpool side are at Nottingham Forest on Sunday afternoon, believes the intense scrutiny from an ever-increasing number of media outlets means those in his position are far less likely to have lengthy reigns similar to Klopp and current Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.
"I got this question a few months ago and I was a bit surprised but when I later thought about it, I think it's harder now because there's so much being said about football, so much more than 10 years ago," said the Reds boss.
"The moment you start to lose one or two games now, then there's much more being spoken about it and much more emphasis on it. So that makes it more difficult. I think the job has become harder because of all the media attention.
"Jurgen did so well, Pep did so well, but the biggest accomplishment is maybe to do this job for 10 years, because it's hard work, I can tell you. Many people work hard, but it's also mentally hard.
"Is the power more with the players now than it's ever been before? I would argue that is true. I don't think that has changed in football.
"The question is always do owners or the people who decide listen to players if, if, if they are not positive about you. And that's different in every club."