Liverpool Will Not Alter Attacking Style Amid Current Struggles, Says Arne Slot
Arne Slot has announced that the club's hierarchy are aligned with his perspective regarding the team's slump and he will not abandon their attacking style in search of a improvement. The head coach admitted that six unsuccessful results in seven matches was unacceptable ahead of the weekend fixture with Villa.
Growing Expectations During Difficult Period
The manager acknowledged the scrutiny was intense before his makeshift team exited the Carabao Cup against the London club. However, he maintained that this urgency to stop the losing streak is not coming from the Anfield hierarchy or management structure following a summer transfer outlay of almost £450m.
"Our views align," remarked the manager, whose side will meet Real Madrid in the Champions League and play against the Citizens in the Premier League.
Squad Quality Stays Unchallenged
Slot believes his team "possess an exceptional group if they are fully healthy and fully prepared for the schedule ahead". He mentioned that the transfer window acquisitions in players such as the attacking midfielder and Alexander Isak, who is probably unavailable again against Villa through physical problems, had left the club "in a strong situation for the immediate prospects and the years to come".
Team Cohesion Issues
When pressed on why his team were having difficulty blending, he replied: "That's not particularly helpful. 'What are the reasons?' I give an explanation and people say I'm coming up with excuses. I can list five or six reasons why we are underperforming or losing as much as we do but, as I say every time, there are inadequate reasons to have a results sequence as we had now."
- Even if I could list multiple factors
- When you are Liverpool you must avoid losses
- Unfortunately six out of seven
Backline Performance
Only the Clarets (21) have faced more big chances from normal situations this season than Slot's team (19). The first-place team, the Gunners, have conceded only two. Yet Liverpool's coach rejects the team has been overly exposed and claims there is no justification to compromise forward-thinking approach for a defensive approach after 10 games without a shutout.
"In my view we're not allowing many opportunities so I see no justification to modify our philosophy totally but we have to enhance in keeping clean sheets," he declared.
Specific Instances
"Against Manchester United, how many chances did we concede? Against Eintracht Frankfurt when we were ahead by two goals, we hardly conceded a attempt on goal. In every match we have competed in we haven't conceded a lot of chances. Not at all. We do allow a slightly more than the previous campaign but that has to do with us being behind early so you play more openly. But typically I don't believe that our issue is that we concede too many chances. Our problem is we fail to convert the openings we produce."
