There’s been no shortage of reaction following our Champions League exit, and Stephen Warnock has now offered a particularly critical assessment of where Liverpool stand under Arne Slot.
Speaking via BBC Sport, the former Red didn’t hold back when analysing both our style of play and how far he believes we are from Europe’s elite right now.
The ex-defender compared us directly to sides like Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain, suggesting there is a clear difference in identity.
He said: “If I asked you how Bayern Munich and Paris St-Germain play, I think you could tell me exactly the style of football they play.
“Slot talks about controlled position, they look anything but controlled in a game at the moment and I think that’s a real concern.”
That’s a pointed criticism, especially given the emphasis our head coach has placed on control and structure since arriving at Anfield.
From what we saw against PSG, there were spells, particularly in the second half, where we looked capable of asserting ourselves, but the overall consistency across both legs simply wasn’t there.
Warnock didn’t stop there either, going further to suggest that despite heavy investment, the gap to the very top may actually have grown.
He added: “They spent £450m in the summer and look further away from Paris St-Germain than they did last year.”
That claim will divide opinion, especially when you consider the context of this season, where injuries to key players and a transitional squad have clearly impacted performances.
Roy Keane, for example, has taken a very different stance, insisting that we cannot be thinking about replacing the manager so soon after success, stating: “Yeah, you can’t be sacking the manager a year after winning the league.”
There is also the reality that Slot himself has acknowledged the need for further evolution, explaining that we have to sell to buy as part of a longer-term rebuild strategy.
What Warnock’s comments do highlight, however, is the growing scrutiny around performances and identity, particularly after a European exit that has left us with only the league to focus on.
With a top-five finish still within reach, the next few weeks will go a long way in shaping whether this season is remembered as a step back or simply part of a transition under a new manager.
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He’s a terrible manager but we are stuck with him unfortunately. Just write next season off in your heads already because it’s going to be a disaster.
So the news is that the gruesome twosome Hughes & Slot are to continue next season. What will it take for FSG to accept that the last 13 months has seen us not just fail to progress but actually regress? To expect better than they have served up is asking for a miracle. To think that FSG are increasing ticket prices – talk about detached from reality.
There should be sign of my something positive.
We could see that at the early stages of the Klopp years. With Slot, it’s abysmal and lack direction.
Concerns about lack of progress? Its decline under slot, that’s what we’ve seen this season, and it was there in the last five months of last season. Some could argue that new players haven’t yet adapted, maybe that’s what FSG are thinking. But I would say apart from szoboszlai, every other player that was here last season has gone backwards, so you can’t make that excuse about new signings.
There’s more pain to come in the remaining fixtures, especially away from home .
It’s a strange thing for FSG who keep saying they back the manager when they wont give him a new contract.
I think FSG have already lined up the new manager, Richard Hughes has done another 64 page dossier, similar to the one he done on selling slot, and when you have owners who don’t know the first thing about football they’ll keep making the same mistakes.
Liverpool will continue to decline with charlatan owners FSG and the hopeless Richard Hughes .
Part of the problem is no identity, its 11 players playing as individuals it’s not a functioning effective team. With, or without the ball.
Just a few stats that say everything about this Liverpool team under slot wiithout the ball. In almost every game, even against inferior teams we’ve been consistently out run by opponents, that means players are working harder than our players. That should never happen at a big football club with good players.
Then there’s tackles, duels, set pieces ect. And more importantly pressing. Under klopp we were the best pressing team in the premier league, not any more.
In every aspect tackles, blocks, duels, pressing we are nowhere to be seen in the stats, It’s proof that since slot has introduced himself and his coaching methods into the players we have gone backwards.
Even with quality players if you don’t graft as a team and earn the right to good football you won’t get anywhere.
Since the departure of klopp we haven’t improved in anything under slot. Even after spending 450 million.
It shows that one manager was an ELITE COACH, and the other is out of his depth.
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