NewsArne Slot press conference: Sunderland, Champions League qualification, challenges and more

The Reds travel to the Stadium of Light in the Premier League on Wednesday night (8.15pm GMT kick-off).

Ahead of the game, Slot spoke to the media at the AXA Training Centre on Tuesday morning.

See our summary from the head coach's press conference below.

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On 'how perfect' results need to be in the rest of the season for Liverpool to achieve Champions League qualification...

Yeah, close to perfection because of the points we're behind. We also know that it's different when you are four points behind a team that's 18th or 19th in the league, because they usually don't pick up as many points as the number three, four or five picks up. So, to close the gap of four or five points towards the number three, four or five that means you have to win a lot. And that's not what we've done this season a lot, so that's why that has to be better and we have to come close to perfection. Margins are indeed very small because seven minutes before the end [on Sunday] we thought we were five points behind [Manchester] City and five minutes later we were 11 points behind.

On facing Sunderland, who are the only team unbeaten at home in the Premier League this season, and having to bounce back after conceding late goals last weekend...

But I have to give a lot of credit to my players because we've had so many setbacks or hits, the way you said it. So many times we didn't get what we deserved but every three days later they showed up again and brought in a good performance, which not always led to a win. But I've said many times here that I think there were only three halves this season where the other team was far better than us; that was Crystal Palace, that was Man City and maybe Arsenal away [in the] first half, although that was parts of the first half. For the rest it was close to equal or we were the far better team. So that is credit to the players because they've had many, many, many setbacks this season.

But it's not only that they [Sunderland] have a good record at home, they have had a very good season. But the record at home, I was aware of that as well. And already played against City and Arsenal at home, so that tells you how good of a season they are having and how strong and good they are at home.

On if Sunderland have had the best season so far of any team in the division...

I think there are more teams that are having a very good season. So, Arsenal is definitely one of them. [Aston] Villa is impressive. Brentford is very impressive. But Sunderland is also impressive. And maybe I forget a few as well. It's definitely an accomplishment or very good that if you are promoted and you come in the Premier League and you do so well, that is a big compliment to their players and to their manager.

On whether Liverpool have suffered from 'bad luck' at times this season...

That is always the question. It feels like that, that's for sure. Even if we sign a player and he's not even playing for us he gets injured! So, sometimes it feels like that but the moment you start to feel it's all bad luck, probably it comes to you as well. So, we should keep it away as much as possible and just focus on the performance and focus on what we can do to improve it.

The amount of times we conceded late goals in extra time is far more than usual. The question is, is it bad luck or are we to blame? I think I've tried many different things, so I've made defensive substitutions and the ball went in and I kept playing the same players and the ball went in. We've tried a lot and sometimes it feels... I can fairly say we haven't been lucky, that's definitely true. Is it then unlucky or is this part of who we are? That is something we can only find out in the upcoming three to four months.

On the challenge of keeping morale high within the dressing room after setbacks...

That's not always easy because I don't think anyone feels from the last 14 or 15 games – I don't even know how much exactly – we've 'only lost two' but we've had far too many draws and a draw feels like a loss at this club as well. That's definitely not easy for them as well because they know what the standards of Liverpool mean – and we are not performing to the standards of Liverpool at the moment.

So, they feel that disappointment and mainly because we are so close every single game. Every game, it feels as if we're going to win it but it doesn't happen and that is probably even more difficult than when you play a game that throughout the whole game you already feel like the other team is better or we were just not good enough. That's not what they feel. If they play a game they feel performance-wise they can compete with any other team in the league [or] in the world, but the reality is that we don't perform to Liverpool's standards.

On whether this is one of the most challenging seasons he's had during his career as a manager...

Yeah, that's fair to say... by a mile because all the other seasons I've managed there were only positives. I don't think I'd ever lost two games in a row, so it's an exception this season for me as it is for the players. The players are not used to losing a lot or having a lot of draws. I'm not used to that as well. It's always more of a challenge after you lose a game of football to get them going again than after a win [and] telling them we were not as good as they might think they were. So, yes, this this season has been more challenging for me as well, but you also take nice things out of it, [however] weird that may sound because I also look at how much improvement we are making.

The main thing as a manager you are always looking for is the results, but it's also important players and the team improves, because if that doesn't happen we're having an even bigger problem over here. In my opinion, everyone is now able – except for maybe the players who are injured – to play every three days at an intensity level that is needed at this club, but in the Premier League as well and as a result of that, I think our performances are much, much, much, much better than they were in the start of the season. I don't mean the first six games, maybe, but the period when we started playing a double programme because in the first six games we only had once a double programme with Everton and that was a difficult win. Since we went into that double programme, we started to drop so many points.

On whether he has done anything different in order to get through the challenges of this season…

Yeah, you always do something different because you cannot compare any season with another one and it's different, as I said, to lead the team after a loss, or after multiple losses or after multiple draws, than it is after a win. But I haven't [and] I don't think anyone in this building would tell you that I completely changed. No, I didn't, but it is different after a season that we're having now than all the other seasons I've managed where we always did something special. And there is still a possibility that we can do something special this season as well.

On whether he has to ensure Champions League qualification to make this an 'acceptable' season…

Yes. If we don't have Champions League football it has definitely not been an acceptable season.

On the club's model being reliant on Champions League participation and the impact that failing to qualify would have…

That's what I said, that when I arrived here we could only sign Federico Chiesa and that was after a Europa League season. So, that does have an enormous impact on the way this club is run, that is clear. So, we are completely aware and I am completely aware of that.

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