Arne Slot has confirmed that his Liverpool players will enjoy a well-earned two-day break, but says there is an element of disappointment at the same time.
The Reds are now 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League, with Wednesday’s 2-0 win at home to Newcastle another hurdle cleared.
It brought to an end a relentless run of five league games in the space of the 15 days, with 11 points picked up in that time.
Liverpool don’t play again until next Wednesday, however, making the trip to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, allowing the squad a breather.
Speaking in his post-Newcastle press conference, Slot said his players will now have a two-day break, but is ruing the fact that fringe figures won’t have FA Cup action to enjoy this weekend.
“That’s why I’m still a bit disappointed that we don’t play on the weekend,” Slot said.
“Of course, Mo [Salah] wouldn’t have played, of course Virgil [van Dijk] wouldn’t have played, but it would have been an ideal moment for the likes of Harvey Elliott, Jarell Quansah, Federico Chiesa and all the others to get some playing time as well to keep them ready for the end phase of the season.
“So, unfortunately we’re out but that also means that the players have two days off now and then from Saturday onwards we fully focus on Paris Saint-Germain.”
Slot also discussed his reasoning behind leaving key players out of the recent defeats to PSV Eindhoven and Plymouth, saying it allowed them to play these five huge league games instead.
“I’ve explained it already a few times that that’s the biggest reason why I didn’t take these players to Plymouth Argyle because then they have to travel again, they are away from home, they might have to play 10, 15, 30, 45 minutes because I would definitely have used them if I would have taken them – and that means for them no rest,” he added.
“That’s why I didn’t take them to PSV Eindhoven as well because I believe in the fact that these players are able to play five games in 15 days like they show.
“But they can’t do this for 10 months in a row, so they need to have, once in a while, a break. We are talking about a break if I’m talking about five, six days of not playing a game of football.”
Slot has managed this season to perfection, making the transition from the Jurgen Klopp era look seamless, filling such huge shoes with aplomb.
Granted, he would like to still be in the FA Cup, but at the same time, he will know that being out of it is no disaster.
Slot is now within touching distance of winning the title in his first season in charge at Liverpool, which would be an astonishing achievement.
If he manages to add the Champions League and Carabao Cup to it, there may need to be some early plans for a statue!
Fan Comments