Arne Slot addressed the media before Liverpool visit the Stadium of Light to play Sunderland on Wednesday, February 11th. He gave an injury update, admitted that the Reds have to be “Near Perfect” to achieve Champions League qualification this season, and explained how this season has been the toughest one for him as a manager in his coaching career.
Team News
Domonik Szoboszlai is out after receiving a Red Card in the last match vs. Man City. Joe Gomez practiced with the team on Tuesday, but his availability is still in question.
"I'm expecting him [Gomez] to train with us for the first time today. Indeed, if Joe is not ready to start, then we are missing four players who have played in that position,” Slot said. "But Curtis [Jones] and Wata [Endō] also played in that position this year, so we've had six different right full-backs this season."
Near Perfect Going Forward
Slot adds that while Liverpool have gotten results in 14 of their last 16 matches, they have had too many draws. Now the Reds have to be near-perfect for the remainder of the season to qualify for the Champions League.
“Yeah, close to perfection because of the points we're behind,” he said. “ We also know that it's different when you are four points behind a team that's 18th or 19th in the league, because they usually don't pick up as many points as the number three, four, or five picks up. So, to close the gap of four or five points towards the number three, four, or five, that means you have to win a lot. And that's not what we've done this season a lot, so that's why that has to be better, and we have to come close to perfection. Margins are indeed very small because seven minutes before the end [on Sunday] we thought we were five points behind [Manchester] City and five minutes later we were 11 points behind.”
A Tough Season
This season has not been what anyone expected, particularly after winning the EPL last year. Slot says it’s been his toughest campaign as a manager by far.
“Yeah, that's fair to say... by a mile because all the other seasons I've managed there were only positives,” Slot admitted. “I don't think I'd ever lost two games in a row, so it's an exception this season for me, as it is for the players. The players are not used to losing a lot or having a lot of draws. I'm not used to that as well. It's always more of a challenge after you lose a game of football to get them going again than after a win [and] telling them we were not as good as they might think they were. So, yes, this season has been more challenging for me as well, but you also take nice things out of it, [however] weird that may sound, because I also look at how much improvement we are making.”
Where To Watch
| Match Info | UK Broadcast | US Broadcast | Canada Broadcast |
| Kick-off | 8:15 PM GMT | 3:15 PM ET | 3:15 PM ET |
| TV Channel | TNT Sports | USA Network | FuboTV |
| Live Stream | Discovery + | Peacock | FuboTV Canada |
LFC Globe Verdict
This is one of the most candid pressers I have heard from Slot all season. He admitted that not only was the team having a tough time, but he was as well. He also claims that the Reds have had bad luck during the campaign, somewhat ironically, when Liverpool are getting ready to face the Black Cats. Let’s hope that luck will change and the near-perfect run starts now.
What do you think? Do you trust Curtis Jones at right-back, or should Slot play a youngster? Let us know in the comments below.
