Arne Slot has strongly dismissed talk that Liverpool’s standards will slip when Mohamed Salah leaves the club this month. The Reds head coach was questioned on this after Salah said he was worried about who would be the ‘example’ to younger players when he and fellow leader Andy Robertson depart this summer, with a huge question mark also over the future of veteran goalkeeper Alisson.
But an animated Slot has hit back at this notion and said he is not worried that the culture of the club is changing.
‘What Mo is saying is that standards are really important for a football club,’ said Slot. ‘I cannot agree more with him! I did not hear him say that the standards are not ok now. Did you?
‘As I just said… I’m not worried about it. At all. I’m not worried that the standards will be lower next season than they were this season, last season or the season before. No. I’m not worried. At all.
‘I wish I was able to say what I feel at this moment but I can’t. As I said, I completely agree with (Salah) how important these standards are. They (standards) are in a good place right now.
‘It also makes sense that younger players – it doesn’t have to be the new players, it can be the seven-year-old that comes from the academy – usually get the example of players like Mo and others for them to understand and to know what it takes to play every three days at this level.
‘I see that our younger players have improved in this already.
‘I am completely convinced that we have enough players next season — and, add to that, the ones that we will sign — to put the standards exactly into the place they are needed. The standards are not only important in the gym.’
It comes on a week Virgil van Dijk hit back at suggestions Liverpool have too many days off. In fact, they actually have fewer days off than last season when they won the Premier League title.
Slot also disagreed that the exits of Salah and Robertson, two veterans, will mean Liverpool’s average age is too young — and pointed to the example of European champions Paris Saint-Germain.
He added: ‘Senior players are not the only ones who set the standards at a club. If I look at Paris Saint-Germain: Desire Doue is 20, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is 25. Can they set standards for another generation or for a team? I don’t know what time they are in the gym, by the way.
‘And this is what Mo did when he was 26, this is what other players did when they were here. I don’t think it comes down to ages that only 32 or 33-year-old players can set standards. They have lived experiences and know what it takes to play at this level.
‘But come on, we are not talking about Florian Wirtz or Hugo Ekitike or Alexander Isak and all these players we signed. They are not children, they are serious professionals that know what it takes to play at this level as well.
‘They now know what it takes to play in the Premier League and Champions League at this level. It can only be better but it is not only down to 34-year-olds.
‘They can definitely be a big help which they have been in the last two seasons and Virgil will still be next season as well.
‘But standards are not only set by 34-year-olds. Standards can also be set by a 20-year-old, like Doue, or Salah who played for Liverpool when he was 26. That did not only start when he is what age he is now. It is not age related.’
Liverpool will be without Salah and Alisson for the visit of Chelsea on Saturday but Alexander Isak and Giorgi Mamardashvili, the No 2 goalkeeper, are set to return. Florian Wirtz is OK after an illness and Ibrahima Konate is back after missing training for a personal reason this week.
