Slot: Liverpool “Still Have to Prove” They Belong at the Top
Liverpool’s Boss offered up his thoughts after the match.
Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Wolves on Saturday means that the Reds have a managed to give them an unexpected gift: top spot on the Premier League table. We all know it’s early in the season and no one is racing to crown Liverpool as legitimate title challengers, but to claim that spot at all - especially after seeing Manchester City drop points - feels a minor achievement as the Reds seek to forge a path under Arne Slot.
It feels meaningful, then, that Liverpool climbed to that after a performance that most would consider is not the best this squad could cobble together. In other words, the exact type of result that teams would need to scrape together if they want to put together a title run.
Arne Slot, though, want to throw cold water on the hype. When asked about the significance of being atop the table, he noted that the club needed to show more.
“It’s almost ideal that we played Wolves today because we are top and they’re last and they absolutely don’t deserve to be last. They had a very difficult fixture list and I’ve seen many games of them and in almost every game they deserve more. You could even argue [that] today because it wasn’t like we were so much better than them. They were in the game [and] doing a lot of good things. If they keep doing this against other teams as well they will never end up No.20 [in the league]. We still have to prove that when we come across Arsenal, Newcastle, Chelsea [and] Aston Villa [to see] if we can then still be up there with Champions League games included as well.”
It’s clear that the club still have work to do, but it does feel significant to have them keep churning out results, even as the fixture list has gotten more compact. It is safe to say, I think, that most fans did not envision the post-Klopp era getting off to such a smooth start.
Slot was also asked what he thought he might need to do if this good run continues. He answered with the characteristic forthright nature that has come to punctuate his media statements.
“If it stays this way, I don’t have to keep them level-headed! But to keep it that way that’s probably what you mean. I don’t think it’s necessary for me to convince the players [about] all the challenges we still face. I said it a few times now in different press moments today. Two years ago was the last time we played [in the] Champions League and we all know what kind of a season that was. Last season we had a much better season, but then every time Virgil [van Dijk] and all these other players got a rest during the week and could play once a week. So, that’s a completely different situation than playing Champions League during the week against a very tough and hard opponent and then playing Arsenal and then playing Aston Villa and then playing all these top teams that we’re going to face after the next international break. For us, there’s still – I’ve said it many times – there’s a lot to prove, especially if you look back at the season two years ago and it’s still almost completely the same group.”
Seems to me that Slot knows exactly what fans know: this has been a great run so far, but the business end of the season is just on the horizon.
Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com
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