‘The last question I was expecting…’ – Arne Slot was taken aback by one press conference topic
Arne Slot was taken aback by one question which was put to him at his press conference on Friday morning ahead of Liverpool’s weekend fixture.
The 47-year-old faced the media to preview the Reds’ Premier League game against Aston Villa tomorrow night, with the reigning champions badly in need of a morale-boosting win after a horrific run of six defeats in seven matches across all competitions.
The dramatic collapse in form has even led some pundits to speculate whether the Dutchman will still be in charge by Christmas, and ex-Everton CEO Keith Wyness recently claimed that talks over a new contract for the LFC head coach are ‘on hold’ amid the losing run.
Slot surprised by contract question
During this morning’s press conference, Slot was asked if negotiations are ongoing over his contract (which currently runs to June 2027) being extended at Anfield, a topic he was unsurprisingly keen to dismiss.
The Liverpool head coach replied (via Liverpool FC on YouTube): “That’s the last question I was expecting! My focus is completely on getting Liverpool back on winning ways. Contract talks, if they are even there, we never speak about this here. Let us first start winning again; that’s my main focus.”
Slot is always coy about contractual matters in public
Slot’s refusal to speak publicly about contract matters was a recurring them throughout last season when he constantly batted away questions about the futures of Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
It was therefore incredibly unlikely that he’d talk openly about his own situation today, and it’s preposterous that he should be fielding queries about his status at Liverpool even amid their current slump.
We’ve already seen with several clubs this season – not just the Reds – that their fortunes can switch drastically, for better or for worse. Tomorrow’s opponents Villa are a perfect example – 17 places and 12 points adrift of LFC just five weeks ago, they’re now level on points with the champions.
If we can return to winning ways this weekend and follow it up with positive results against Real Madrid and Manchester City, the mood music over the November international break will be far more cheerful, and questions over Slot’s future will fade into the background once more.
As far as we’re concerned, the Dutchman is here to stay at Liverpool for the foreseeable!
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