Arne Slot has insisted he is fully satisfied with his Liverpool squad — in both quality and depth — after being accused of “making excuses” for his team’s poor form following recent comments about rival clubs.
The Dutchman came under scrutiny on Wednesday night when he spoke about the squad depth at Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea after heavily rotating his side for the Carabao Cup, making 10 changes and leaving most senior players out of the matchday squad.
The remarks sparked frustration among supporters and critics alike, given Liverpool’s record £446million summer outlay and their ongoing run of six defeats in seven games.
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s Premier League clash with Aston Villa, Slot moved quickly to clarify his stance, stressing that he remains entirely content with his playing group.
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“We miss nothing. I am completely happy with the team, with all the quality we have, and I am completely convinced by the strategy and the policy we have,” he said.
“The issue is not the squad — it’s that not all of them had a proper pre-season.”
Slot elaborated on the challenges of managing fitness within a tight schedule.
Arne Slot has insisted he is fully satisfied with his Liverpool squad — in both quality and depth — after being accused of “making excuses” for his team’s poor form following recent comments about rival clubs
|PA
“I’m a firm believer that 20 or 21 players are enough, but you have to keep them fit as we did last season," he said.
"We’re struggling to keep them fit now for, in my opinion, obvious reasons.
"Alex (Isak) is a great example — he came to us on September 1, and a few others missed pre-season. Maybe last year we were a bit lucky, or this year we’ve been a bit more unlucky.”
Liverpool face a big run of fixtures as they look to turn things around under Arne Slot
|PA/GETTY/GBNEWS
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Liverpool lost for the six times in seven matches against Crystal Palace earlier this week
| GETTYHe added that the intense fixture list has taken a toll on his players.
“We had to play a lot of away games with only two days’ rest in between. That would have been difficult for any team, even for players who had a full pre-season.
"That hasn’t been our situation. Now we have another week with three games in seven or eight days, and we just have to manage it.”
The Liverpool manager is enduring the most testing spell of his career.
Before this current run, Slot had never lost more than two consecutive matches, including during his successful stints in Dutch football. Despite the pressure, he remains confident he can guide Liverpool back to winning ways.
When asked about reports that the club had opened discussions over a new contract, Slot was quick to dismiss the speculation.
Arne Slot is confident he can turn things around at Liverpool
|REUTERS
“That was the last question I was expecting,” he said.
“My focus is completely on getting Liverpool back to winning ways — that’s my first answer. My second answer is that contract talks, if they are there, are not something we ever speak about here. The first thought is to win again. That’s where my main focus is.”
Liverpool’s injury list remains significant ahead of the Villa match.
Alexander Isak and Curtis Jones are both unavailable, while Jeremie Frimpong, Alisson and Giovanni Leoni are longer-term absentees.
However, there was some good news as midfielder Ryan Gravenberch has returned to training and could be included in the squad.
With Liverpool’s season teetering and their Champions League hopes already under strain, Slot’s determination to stabilise results and reassert belief within his squad will define the coming weeks.