Arne Slot admits late victories will not salvage Liverpool’s poor season
Liverpool manager Arne Slot admits that finishing the campaign with three consecutive victories will not alter the overwhelmingly negative perception of their disappointing Premier League title defence.
The reigning champions experienced a severe mid-season collapse that abruptly ended their hopes of retaining the domestic trophy.
Despite a recent stumble against Manchester United, the Merseyside club remains on course to secure vital Champions League qualification.
They face a challenging run-in against three top-half teams, beginning with a crucial fixture against out-of-form Chelsea.
Focusing on a positive finish
The Dutchman acknowledges that a strong finish will do little to silence the mounting criticism surrounding his second year in charge.
“This season has been gone in a way that even if we have three wins and positive performances, I don’t think anyone will be positive about the season,” said Slot.
The head coach is relying on the impending return of several key personnel to boost squad morale in the final weeks.
“We are trying to do it in the best possible way, performance-wise,” he added.
“Three wins won’t silence the criticism. Therefore we need to have a much longer run of result and performances.”
Transfer struggles and summer plans
The Anfield outfit invested heavily following their title victory, securing high-profile targets including Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz for over £400m.
However, several of these marquee arrivals have struggled significantly with both form and fitness throughout a grueling campaign.
The former Feyenoord boss maintains that his team’s underlying performances warranted a much higher points tally than they ultimately achieved.
“We haven’t had a very good season in the Premier League but we’ve played better and not got the points we should have,” he explained.
Looking ahead to the upcoming window, the 46-year-old confirmed that further modifications are inevitable to rebuild the squad.
“There will be a bit of transition this summer but not as drastic as last summer.”