Arne Slot refutes accusations of ‘boring’ football but admits some games aren’t ‘a joy to watch’

Arne Slot has rejected the notion that his style of play at Liverpool is ‘boring’ but admitted that some of the Reds’ matches this season haven’t been ‘a joy to watch’.

The reigning Premier League champions have failed to beat several teams who are currently in the bottom half of the table despite often dominating possession in those games, frequently finding it annoyingly hard to break down low-block defences.

John Aldridge wrote in a column for the Liverpool Echo this week that the Merseysiders have become ‘far too predictable’ in their approach and are ‘easy to play against’, calling for dynamic talents such as Rio Ngumoha to be utilised more regularly in order to inject an added spark up front.

Slot refutes accusations of ‘boring’ football

Slot spoke to the media this morning ahead of his team’s visit to Arsenal on Thursday night, and in addressing one question about Liverpool’s inconsistency this season, he acknowledged that breaking down deep-lying defences can still be difficult for his team.

The 47-year-old said (via Liverpool Echo): “Against Fulham [on Sunday] I don’t think people thought it was a joy to watch. Against PSG [at Anfield last March], it was for me. People tell me we need the extra pass; for the second goal against Fulham we needed 17 passes before we scored.

“I find it hard to hear [accusations of ‘boring’ tactics] but it is not that I disagree. I would use a different word but I take it into account. I am known for attacking football and we are still trying to do so, but possession doesn’t mean you play attacking football.

“We are struggling to create a lot of chances but I have said many times we’re not the only team that struggles. I don’t think we are creating less than other teams who are doing well, but I don’t like to hear [that Liverpool are boring] because I want to play an attractive style of football.

“We have to find a way to play it against teams who don’t want to, and that is something we haven’t found enough. We are working on this every day.”

Liverpool have been woefully ineffective at times this season

It was evident from Slot’s earliest matches at Liverpool that he was trying to implement a more controlled style of play than the ‘heavy metal football’ to which we’d become accustomed under his predecessor Jurgen Klopp.

It worked wonders for the Dutchman last season as the Reds romped to the Premier League title, but there have been far too many matches this term where we’ve had plenty of the ball but done precious little with it.

In fact, of the seven games in the current campaign in which LFC have had their highest share of possession, they’ve won just two and lost three, scoring more than once in only one of those games (as per the table below, with figures from FBref).

There’s no doubting that Liverpool haven’t been helped by the absences of several attackers, especially in recent weeks with Alexander Isak injured and Mo Salah away at the Africa Cup of Nations, but they should still pack more of a punch with the quality that they do have.

Coaches who are criticised for their tactics will typically feel vindicated once they’re getting results. The Reds may be unbeaten in their last nine games, but Slot knows all too well that there have been far too many draws (including two in the table above) in that sequence.

Obviously we need to have the ball in order to be able to score, but possession for possession’s sake doesn’t win football matches; it’s about being clinical in the final third, and far too often this season that hasn’t been the case for LFC.

That needs to change if they’re to avoid dropping out of the Champions League qualification places completely.

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