Slot pens emotional warning to Liverpool players ahead of PSV clash
The mood around Anfield tonight might feel tense to those on the outside, but the message coming from inside the dressing room could not be clearer.
Arne Slot used his Champions League programme notes (via Liverpoolfc.com) to insist that Liverpool cannot allow losing to become normal under any circumstances.
The 47-year-old made it plain that “the only option available to us is to react in the right way,” stressing that effort and commitment “is the minimum possible requirement”.
He admitted Saturday’s performance against Nottingham Forest did not reach the level we expect from ourselves.
He also noted that we were actually the stronger side for the first half-hour before the collapse, something he felt “has been overlooked”.
This fits with the honesty we have already heard within the squad.
Cody Gakpo spoke with the press about the “embarrassment” he felt after losing 3-0 at home and explained how players have been “honest with each other” in their discussions about accountability.
That mirrors the message delivered by Virgil van Dijk, who said players “should be angry” and that “everyone has to take responsibility” after that painful defeat.
These themes are clearly being carried into tonight’s European fixture.
Liverpool reaction needed after Forest defeat
The boss wrote that Liverpool supporters “stayed with us in a way that maybe wouldn’t happen at other clubs” during the loss to Forest, but insisted that this loyalty “is not something that we should take for granted”.
He reminded us that his side have a responsibility to “create the conditions for positive support” by playing front-foot football and competing for every ball.
Slot emphasised the need to turn the tide immediately. With PSV arriving as reigning Eredivisie champions and having beaten Napoli recently, the challenge is significant.
Liverpool must ‘stick together’
The former Feyenoord coach says belief should come from “what we have seen of this team previously” and from the quality within the group.
He stressed that improvement will follow “if we stick together and continue to work as hard as we possibly can”.
Slot was firm that “I take responsibility for this and I will always do so”. Adding we “need to turn the tide for our supporters and for ourselves,” underlining the importance of the next few weeks in both the Premier League and Europe.
The pressure is real, but so is the opportunity.
A turbulent spell has left Liverpool in need of a spark, and tonight the Champions League might just offer the perfect platform to start rebuilding confidence and momentum.
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