Round-upArne Slot press conference: January transfer window, Burnley, finding 'balance' and more
The Dutchman spoke to reporters at the AXA Training Centre to preview his side's Premier League encounter with Burnley on Saturday at Anfield.
See the key takeaways from the briefing below...
On Andy Robertson's future and his comments about his role this season...
I think I have to give him a big compliment about the things he said. Very mature and I could understand everything he was saying. I think every player should have the same feeling about his current position and that is that he's not starting every game. But I'm really happy that he also says that he finds joy in the position he's in and that he also understands how important he has been to this club for all these years and he definitely still is also in the position where he's in now. He did play quite a lot of games, not as much as he probably hoped. But the way he's acting and his comments in the media is a big compliment and says a lot about him, how good he's been for this club in the past eight-and-a-half years.
On the 11-game unbeaten run and 'what the next step is'...
Ideally it's not 11 games unbeaten, it's 11 wins in a row. That's always where you're aiming for. If that is realistic, it might be for some teams, I think [Aston] Villa won a lot of games in a row. But from where we were when we conceded the fourth goal against PSV [Eindhoven] and then where we are now, I think we are in a much better place. But there's still enough room for improvement but that room for improvement was also there last season when we were top of the league and top of the Champions League in this period of time.
On securing Champions League qualification this season...
It's a challenge because we play in the Premier League and the teams you are mentioning have very good teams as well. We haven't put ourselves in the most ideal position, especially if you compare it to where we were after six games. But the reality is we are competing with these teams at this moment in time for the fourth position, because Villa is having such a great season.
Still a lot to play for us in the league because we all know how important that it is for any club – but definitely also for this club – to qualify for the Champions League. That didn't happen two or three years ago, I think, and that had a big impact financially on the club. We are aware of the importance of qualification for the Champions League but that's not only for us, that's for a lot of teams. We are also aware of the fact that the league is probably stronger than ever. That is something where we have to do really well in the league and, of course, there's the FA Cup and the Champions League to fight for as well.
On facing Burnley...
I only have to think back about the game we played there. I think it was in the 95th minute when we, at last, got a penalty we deserved for a handball, but you never know because three weeks later we had another referee – or maybe it was the same referee, by the way – and there was a clear handball from [Manchester] United and he didn't think that was a penalty. So you're never 100 per cent sure if what you deserve is what you get in life in general but definitely in referee decisions. That was a game where we had multiple chances before we, at last, scored a penalty. But they made it really hard that day and they have made it really hard for a lot of other teams since then as well. So, we will be ready.
We are looking forward to it. Another home game, another game where we want to show that we can do better making, from all that ball possession, more chances. We've worked again this week and [in] the last weeks a lot on that, and I'm hoping and waiting for the moment when things really click and people will say, 'Ah, now from all this ball possession this was nice to watch, there's also a lot of chances combined to that.' But the moment we generate more chances again, we probably have to be more open as well and a certain period of this season has also shown that we didn't concede quite a lot of counter-attacks. So, we have to find the ideal balance in creating more but still hardly conceding anything.
On finding that 'ideal balance'...
I think in the last 11 games we've hardly conceded chances. But in the period before that, when we lost a lot of games, we created a lot of chances but we conceded more chances than we are conceding recently. Those were more open games where maybe people look back at it now, 'Please give us those open games again.' But the results weren't as we wanted them to be. So, we have to find a balance and we will because I can see the players growing, they get more and more belief again and they are getting fitter, as I've mentioned many times. We are just waiting for a moment – because we are doing well, like you just said – where we can kick-start our season even more than we've done in the recent 11 games.
On whether Conor Bradley's injury has 'changed thoughts' about plans in the January transfer window...
I think everyone is aligned about the challenges we are facing. That's not to say that we are going to act, but everyone is aligned on what we are facing. There's no-one who has a different opinion about it. But that's not to say that anything is going to happen.
On crossing into the box and getting midfielders 'closer to the goal'...
Definitely. We do give crosses but I think we could give more. If you don't give them enough, if you don't go through the outside enough, then players who are in front of goal tend to feel, 'I haven't touched the ball for a long time, let me go [ask] for the ball.' If that is then actually the moment where we cross then we are down, underloaded. We will always be underloaded in the box of the other team because they bring – including the goalkeeper – 11 and I'm not even exaggerating. There are so many times [where there] are 11 players of the other team in the box. I don't think I will ever come to a situation that I'm asking Ali [Becker] to attack the box as well, so I think we will always be underloaded in the box of the other team. But sometimes we are underloaded a bit too much.
But as we say in Holland, it's a chain reaction, so it comes from certain things. If you are waiting in the box and crosses don't come often enough, you try to be involved in the game. It's definitely one of the things you are aware of and we are aware of as well. But sometimes it's the type of players you have. I think most of our midfielders like to have the ball in their feet and these players need to know from each other, 'Yes, you're really good in that but we need you also to attack the box.' That is one of the things that is so obvious that I can even say it over here. That is something we do speak about, yes.