Liverpool FC is sliding deeper and deeper into crisis in the Premier League. Coach Arne Slot is searching for answers. Meanwhile, his team is ignoring his warning.
With Saturday evening’s 3-2 defeat at Brentford FC, Arne Slot has reached a new low as Liverpool FC coach. No defeat during his tenure with the Reds has been more disappointing, said the 47-year-old Dutchman. “Even when we lost, our performances were better than tonight,” said Slot about the fourth league defeat in a row, which saw the Reds drop to sixth place. As a reminder, after the fifth matchday, the champions had a five-point lead over second place. Never before in the Premier League has a team won its first five league games and then lost the next four. “When you win a soccer game during the week, you always hope to get a better result, even though you only have two days’ rest. But I had also hoped for and expected a better performance, because the performance was far from what we are used to.”
Meanwhile, it is becoming a habit for Liverpool to always be behind, against Brentford for the sixth time in a row. “Going 0-1 down every time after five minutes isn’t exactly helpful,” Slot said angrily. Brentford’s early goal was preceded by a long throw-in. Slot had warned his team emphatically about this strength. “That was the only thing we did yesterday on the training ground to prepare for it.” But it didn’t help; the warning was ignored. To make matters worse, Kevin Schade then made it 2-0 for the home side before Milos Kerkez was able to reduce the deficit with his debut goal before the break.
Slot: “We haven’t found an answer yet.”
But anyone expecting an LFC onslaught was sorely mistaken. Brentford pressed and rewarded themselves from the penalty spot. Liverpool clearly lacked solutions and tactical responses to the Bees’ intense style of play, and it was only shortly before the end that Mohamed Salah, who had been alarmingly weak up to that point, was able to pull one back. “I’ve said many times that teams use a certain style of play against us and we haven’t found an answer to that yet,” Slot admitted honestly.
What is the reason for this? “It definitely has something to do with the fact that a lot of changes were made in the summer. In my opinion, it’s no surprise that things can turn out this way,” said Slot, who added that he had not expected “four defeats in a row, I want to make that clear.” The Dutchman also had a small excuse ready. “Of the last six games we’ve played, five were away games. Sometimes that’s not really helpful when you’re in a slump, as we are at the moment,” said the coach of last season’s best away team. It’s good for Liverpool that they now have three home games in a row.
