Liverpool manager Arne Slot has delivered a robust defence of his team's recent performances and tactical approach, hitting back at suggestions his side have become "boring". The Reds travel to face league leaders Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday night, sitting 14 points adrift in the title race.
Slot's passionate defence of Liverpool's philosophy
The Dutch coach insisted his commitment to an attacking, high-pressing game remains unwavering, despite a run of four draws in their last eight Premier League matches. This period of relative solidity follows a dismal sequence of nine defeats in 12 games across all competitions between September and November, which effectively ended their hopes of retaining the championship.
Slot was keen to clarify that any recent tactical adjustments have been born out of necessity, not a philosophical shift. "Packing the team with midfielders is not something I am doing by choice," he stated emphatically. "I am doing it because certain players are not available."
Injury and absence crisis forces tactical hand
The manager pointed to a significant shortage of options in the final third as the root cause of Liverpool's recent struggles to score goals. Key attacker Mohamed Salah is away at the Africa Cup of Nations, while striker Alexander Isak is out injured for the foreseeable future. Forward Hugo Ekitike, who missed the recent draw at Fulham, faces a late fitness test ahead of the Arsenal match.
"I have always played with wingers," Slot explained, referencing his six or seven-year managerial career. "I always have it 4-3-3 with real wingers... 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."
Opponents adapting to stifle Liverpool's threat
Slot argued that the primary change has come from opposing teams, who have altered their strategies to counter Liverpool's style effectively. He noted that teams are now more inclined to sit in a low defensive block and play long balls to bypass the Reds' high press, a tactic he admits works well against his current squad.
"Our style is not to steady the ship, go back and defend your own box for 90 minutes. Not at all," he affirmed. "Every single game we press them as high as we can... I did not change our style but teams have changed their style against us."
He cited the example of Fulham, who he claimed played with a back five against Liverpool but utilised a 4-3-3 formation against both Arsenal and Manchester City. While he suggested he understood the reasoning behind such tactical switches, he declined to elaborate publicly, stating "it would not be smart of me to do so".
As Liverpool prepare for a daunting trip to face Mikel Arteta's league-leading Arsenal, Slot's message is clear: the intent and philosophy remain aggressively forward-thinking, even if results and personnel challenges have temporarily masked that ambition.
