Under-pressure Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has been defended by his former Feyenoord assistant Marino Pusic
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot (right) pictured during his time at Feyenoord alongside assistant coach Marino Pusic
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot (right) pictured during his time at Feyenoord alongside assistant coach Marino Pusic(Image: Nesimages/Michael Bulder/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
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Arne Slot's former assistant Marino Pusic believes the Liverpool head coach hasn't been given enough credit for his time in charge at Anfield.
Slot led the Reds to only their second championship in 35 years when his team romped to the Premier League title during his first season in charge last year.
This season, though, the champions have struggled to defend their crown and face a battle to secure a top-five berth and Champions League qualification.
It has placed Slot under increasing pressure although the Dutchman maintains he has the support of Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group and sporting director Richard Hughes.
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And Pusic, who was Slot's right-hand man at Feyenoord, argues people are forgetting the Reds' record during the Premier League era when assessing recent achievements.
"I think Arne deserves much more credit at Liverpool right now than he is getting," he said.
“Many people forget how frequently Liverpool has become champion of England in recent decades. Arne did it right away in his first season, but Jurgen Klopp has also only won the Premier League title once.
“Before that, Liverpool last won the league title in 1990. And now it is expected that Arne will win the title twice in a row. Especially because so much money has been spent. That doesn’t always work.
“They would do well at Liverpool to remain calm and give Arne and his staff, with Sipke Hulshoff and Giovanni van Bronckhorst, their confidence."
In an interview with Voetbal International, Pusic also revealed he turned down the chance to join Slot in moving to Anfield in 2024 to instead continue as boss at Shakhtar Donetsk.
“It was a real pleasure to work with Arne,” he said via Sports Witness. “We have a special bond. That has since become a form of friendship. As far as I am concerned, he is one of the best coaches in the world.
“I am talking about his demeanour, his football philosophy, how he conveys it, and his manners. I can only speak lyrically about him.”
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