Arne Slot was a bit feisty in his press conference following Liverpool’s 3-2 loss to Manchester United. He passionately argued that United’s second goal should have been disallowed due to a handball, also claiming multiple VAR reviews have gone against the Reds this season. He also praised the second-half response and explained why Alexander Isak was a late scratch from the lineup.
It Was A Handball
Even though VAR eventually checked and cleared Benjamin Seska’s goal, angles in the TV studio during the halftime show, not available pitchside, clearly show a handball, and the goal should have been disallowed. Slot agrees.
“It was a touch, which I think it is, because if you know a bit about a ball sport, you know that if a ball has a certain curve and the curve changes, there must have been contact – but it’s always light. Then we should have a debate in football, is that then enough to disallow a goal? But I think the rule is if there was a touch it should have been disallowed. But I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone this season that if there is a VAR intervention, or if there is something that you could look at or could be left, could be right, then that decision goes against us. That has been the whole season. Every single time [it’s] the same. If I remember Paris Saint-Germain at home, getting a penalty for a soft touch on [Alexis] Mac Allister but of course the VAR interferes and says no, no, this is not a penalty. This is a complete pattern over the whole season, but there’s also a pattern that we concede ridiculous goals when we are the better team and one or two [are] switching off and then we concede a goal. That we have more influence on, so I should focus much more on that than on these referee decisions that go against us. But it’s clear that the whole season is the same.”
A Second Half Response
Liverpool responded with a much better half, and Slot revealed his halftime message in the dressing room.
“I told them it wasn’t necessary to be 2-0 down, and it wasn’t necessary to lose this game today. Although United deserved to be 2-0 up, let that be completely clear. We conceded two goals, and they had a lot of strengths, let that also be clear, but two of them are set-pieces, and the counter-attac,k and we fell into that trap with both goals. The first one we concede [from] a set-piec,e and the second one we played through the middle, where their players are sharp in the duels, and a quick counter-attack led to the 2-0.”
ISAK Injured
Slot revealed that Alexander Isak picked up an injury before kickoff, but it is not serious.
“We’re expecting him to be back very soon. But you saw the second half, so there’s no excuse. I haven’t spoken about missing players [and] I’m not talking about it now. If you can play a second half as we did, there’s no necessity to have other players here. We were able, with this team, to have a chance of winning this game, and we were quite close. But, as always, one moment of switching off immediately leads to us conceding a goal... so many times this season it was waiting for us to score one and then we conceded because we switched off for one or two seconds in a crucial moment.”
LFC Globe Verdict
This is the most fired up I have seen Slot in a presser, and I like to see the fire and passion. He feels like his players are being hard done by the refs and the VAR, and he is standing up for them.
Have Your Say
Do you agree with the argument that every VAR decision has gone against Liverpool or is that just Slot reacting in the emotion of the moment? Sound off below.