With Liverpool set to face Qarabag in the Champions League, Arne Slot spoke about the pressure he’s under heading into the match.
The league phase is down to its final round, with all 36 teams kicking off simultaneously on Wednesday night.
It will take place at Anfield on Wednesday night, and for fans around the globe tuning in, Liverpool’s path forward is fairly clear. A win would secure a spot in the top eight, while even a draw should be enough to avoid dropping into the play-offs.
Arne Slot knows the outside noise won’t go away
Slot’s heard the boos and seen plenty of negative headlines around Liverpool this season.
It’s not like he’s unaware, even though he doesn’t let it affect him too much.
Speaking before the Qarabag match, he said: “It is going to be really difficult to quiet the outside noise with the position we are in.
“Even if we win a few games, every loss the noise will come back. It is impossible to shut down the noise at a club like this if you are not competing to win the league.”
This isn’t something Slot can fix overnight, either. A couple of wins won’t change things long-term unless it’s part of a bigger turnaround.
If Liverpool could string together five or six wins before dropping points again, maybe fans wouldn’t react as strongly each time things go wrong.
Slot admits shutting out criticism at Liverpool isn’t realistic
There have been a few boos directed Slot’s way recently, along with a growing number of questions from the press. While he comes across as pretty calm, none of that has gone unnoticed.
Speaking before the match, he said: “It is going to be really difficult to quiet the outside noise with the position we are in.
“Even if we win a few games, every loss the noise will come back. It is impossible to shut down the noise at a club like this if you are not competing to win the league.”
The pressure is on Slot right now, and he has to figure out how to address this ‘impossible’ task.
If Liverpool could go on a run of five or six wins and then lose a game, then the backlash wouldn’t be as inevitable as it is currently.
Liverpool can’t afford to slip out of Champions League Top 8
Every team with a puncher’s chance of securing automatic qualification to the knockout stages wants it badly, but it’s a need for Liverpool.
Only 19 players are available against Qarabag, with Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konate missing from training.
Liverpool are working with a skeleton crew in defence, and there is always the risk of more injuries with more games.
Those two play-off legs would put a strain on an already-bare squad, and make it extremely difficult to keep up momentum in the Champions League while also holding on to league position to make it again next season.
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