Liverpool struggling to create chances, says Arne Slot as he admits his side’s approach has grown dull off late.
Slot concedes Liverpool’s approach has grown dull: ‘I would not completely disagree’
With a nine-game winning streak, Liverpool has stabilised following a disastrous run of nine losses in 12 games—the team’s worst comeback in 71 years—but they are finding it difficult to put on strong performances. The champions are now 14 points behind the leaders, Arsenal, who they play at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday, as a result of consecutive draws against Fulham and Leeds, which have led to more criticism of Slot’s tactics.
The Liverpool head coach admits being stung by accusations his team’s approach is dull. “I find it really hard to hear but I would not completely disagree,” said Slot, who could be without Hugo Ekitiké for a second successive game. “I would use different words and I would take certain things into account. I want to win as many trophies as I can but I think I am also known for the fact that my teams always try to play attacking football and I can only say they’re trying to do so.
“We are struggling to create a lot of chances. But I’ve said many times, we are not the only team that struggles to create a lot of chances. I don’t like to hear this [boring label] of course. I would like us winning a lot of games but also playing an attractive style of football which we have done this season. We have to find a way against teams [who play] in not an attractive way, which is, of course, maybe even smart for them to do. We have to find answers to that. We haven’t found enough yet but we are working on that every single day to improve that.”
With Mohamed Salah in the Africa Cup of Nations, Cody Gakpo returning from injury, with Ekitiké joining Alexander Isak on the sidelines due to a minor hamstring ailment, Slot maintains that recent team decisions were made out of necessity.
“Packing the team with midfielders is not something I am doing by choice,” he said. “I am doing it because certain players are not available. I have always played with wingers and I have always changed my wingers with new wingers coming in. If I am known for one thing then it is attacking football, playing a lot of attackers and bringing a lot of attackers in when we are a goal down. So I find it hard to hear that we play boring football let alone that I am not playing attackers.”