Manager insists he retains the backing of club’s hierarchy
Arne Slot has said Liverpool’s hierarchy remain behind him and that he intends to “fight on”, after meeting with the club’s sporting director following his side’s alarming run of form.
Liverpool’s 4-1 defeat at home against PSV Eindhoven in the Uefa Champions League on Wednesday night followed heavy consecutive league defeats at the hands of Manchester City and Nottingham Forest, and marked a run of nine losses in the last 12 games.
The scale of the slump has heaped pressure on Slot despite winning the title in his first season in charge. However, following discussions with sporting director Richard Hughes and other senior figures at the club, Slot said there had been no change in tone from Liverpool’s leadership.
“We have had the same conversations since I was here,” said Slot. “We fight on. We try to improve. That’s what we all try. But the conversations have been the same as since I was here.”
Liverpool have not had a run as bad as this in more than 70 years, not since the 1953-54 season when they were relegated. Slot said he understood the pressure and was ready to work through it.
“There is a lot of pressure if you play or work at a top club and even more so if you start losing more games than this club or these players or this manager is used to,” said Slot.
“Last season, there was pressure to win the league. Now it’s a different kind of pressure because we have lost so many games.”
Liverpool’s manager insisted he was not angry with his squad, despite conceding that performances had slipped well below the standards expected at Liverpool.
“No not at all, although I do agree that our standards have not been of the standard that we are used to and we want, so we think we can play better than we do,” said Slot.
“Last season, when we played well there was a focus on individuals and I said it should be about the team. If the opposite is happening it should also be about the team.”
