Arne Slot has claimed that he feels less ‘tired’ now compared to this time last year, even though Liverpool’s fortunes have regressed significantly from 12 months ago.
The Dutchman reached 100 games in charge of the Reds in the Champions League defeat to Galatasaray last Tuesday, which was our 44th match of the season so far across all competitions, and LFC could have another 18 to play if they go the distance in knockout tournaments.
Speaking to Sky Sports Premier League about reaching the century in midweek, the 47-year-old claimed that he’s grown more accustomed to the hectic fixture schedule which is the normality for Premier League clubs who also have European commitments.
Slot reflected: “You get used to it. Last season, although things went much better for us, I felt more tired in this period of time than I feel now. Apparently you get a bit more used to it in your second season, but it’s clear that I don’t have to play and the players have to.
“I do remember from last season the players were a bit tired in this period of time when we lost against Paris Saint-Germain and then the League Cup [final]. We didn’t bring the same energy in those games that we did in all the other games, except for the home game against PSG.
“That’s also the reason why I’ve rotated a few times recently, and that’s something that goes through my head now, thinking about what happened last season [in] how we approach this week.”
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Liverpool play their 45th match of the season today, only two fewer than they’d accrued on the corresponding weekend last year when they lost the Carabao Cup final to Newcastle.
In that context, the workload doesn’t appear to be greatly different from 12 months ago, although the first few weeks of 2025 were particulary gruelling for the Reds in terms of their fixture commitments.
In the 10 weeks between the 2-2 draw against Manchester United on 5 January to the Wembley defeat to the Magpies on 16 March, Slot’s team played 20 matches – only once having a full week off between games – and those endeavours understandably caught up with them against Eddie Howe’s side.
Our early exit from the Carabao Cup this time around, coupled with no Premier League games having to be rescheduled as of yet, means that the gaps between fixtures in the first few weeks of 2026 have tended to be more forgiving.
However, today’s match against Tottenham Hotspur is the first of three high-stakes matches in seven days, and the post-Easter run-in could be manic if Liverpool go further in the FA Cup and Champions League.
Mentally and physically, the Reds will need to be at their sharpest if they’re to salvage something from this hugely disappointing season…judging by what many pundits have said, Slot’s job could depend on it.
You can watch Slot’s full pre-Tottenham Hotspur press conference below, via Empire of the Kop on YouTube:
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