Slot Maintains He Feels Safe and Retains Liverpool's Backing Following PSV Defeat
Arne Slot acknowledged that it's natural for questions to be raised about his position following another heavy loss versus PSV Eindhoven.
The Reds endured their 9th defeat in twelve games, marking the team's poorest streak after being demoted in the 1953-54 season.
They were dominated by the Dutch league champions on a tough night at their home ground.
“I am feeling safe, I am OK, I have got significant backing from the top,” the coach stated.
“It would be nice to change things and earn three points naturally but when you're coaching a team and underperforming then it's expected that people question you.”
He continued, “I'm comfortable with my role. This isn't the initial instance I've found myself in a challenging situation but it's crucial that we improved our results.”
Discussions with Club Management
When asked to expand on his discussions with the Liverpool hierarchy, Slot revealed:
“There's regular dialogue. They are helpful for the squad and to me and those talks happen but they don’t call me every single minute each day to say they trust me.”
He further stated, “In the normal conversations we have I feel the belief. However I've not talked to them since this match yet so it remains to be seen.”
Persistent Failings and Squad Reaction
The manager highlighted known failings from his team in their European loss, specifically poor finishing and leaking goals.
Meanwhile, midfielder Jones was more forthright in his evaluation of the team's situation.
“I don’t have the solutions. Honestly, I don’t. I’m saying that to everybody,” Jones stated.
“It is not good enough. I don’t even need to wait to consider it. I'm beyond getting mad internally. I've reached the stage currently where I simply lack the words.”
He continued, “It's difficult because I play for the club I love. I’m a fan, and I've watched this club for years.”
“For many years, I haven’t experienced a Liverpool team going through a period of this nature with performances this poor.”
He stated, “But we still have the emblem on our shirts. And as long as that badge is removed, we will always fight.”
“We will attempt to help the side return to the top, show everyone once more what Liverpool stands for and the reason it's called the greatest side in the planet.”
“At this moment, we're in trouble and it needs to change.”
