Former Liverpool winger Mark Gonzalez on Arne Slot, Liverpool's difficult season and why Mohamed Salah is having an underwhelming year
Arne Slot reacts
Liverpool have struggled for form this season(Image: Getty Images)
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Former Liverpool winger Mark Gonzalez admits "it's just not working" for Arne Slot at Anfield - but says a troubled sophomore season as head coach won't define his time at Anfield.
The Premier League champions suffered their 10th defeat of the campaign on Saturday, losing 2-1 to Brighton and they have now been beaten 14 times across all competitions.
The Reds have FA Cup and Champions League quarter-finals to look forward to on the other side of the international break, against Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain, but Slot's men are battling it out in the league to secure a top-five spot to secure a place in next season's Champions League.
Liverpool find themselves 21 points behind league leaders Arsenal and they are closer to the relegation zone as it stands but Gonzalez, who played for the Reds 36 times in the 2006-07 season, has defended the under-fire Dutch boss.
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"I don’t like pointing fingers," Gonzalez told Flashscore. "In football, you have good moments and bad moments, and that doesn’t define who you are or what you can do. When Slot first came in, he was the king.
"Now it seems like he’s the worst. But results don’t define you. It’s the same players - a team that was doing great at one point and now isn’t. That’s just part of football.
"I’ve asked myself many times why this happens - it’s the same team, same coach - and honestly, I don’t have an answer.
"It’s like when you’re losing, and suddenly you start fighting and playing better than ever.
"Then you ask yourself: Why couldn’t I play like that from the start? I don’t have an answer for that either.
"Football is about moments. It doesn’t define whether you’re good or bad - you can be both in a short space of time. So I always try not to blame anyone, to understand what’s happening.
"As a coach, you always want to do your best. Liverpool is a huge club - they’re not going to bring in just anyone.
"Sometimes things work, sometimes they don’t. Football is like a roulette. You can bring in the best coach, and it still might not work. That doesn’t make him a bad coach.
"Maybe he leaves and succeeds somewhere else. It’s different players, different environment, different pressure and Liverpool brings huge pressure. Right now, it’s just not working for him."
Former Chile wideman Gonzalez also believes Mohamed Salah's underwhelming campaign is down to the Egypt forward being unhappy at Anfield, adding: "For Salah, with his performances lately, something clearly happened with Slot a few months ago. Remember that he wanted to leave, and he wasn’t in games.
"I know that there are many things that happen when you have problems with the coach. That affects your performance, and we don't know what's happening behind the doors.
"A lot is going on with the environment, and there is pressure. That kind of situation affects performance.
"I think mentally he’s not happy, and that’s why we’re not seeing his usual level. Even a small issue in your mind can affect you. I think there’s something not right between them."