Liverpool head coach Arne Slot says losing to PSG and Newcastle United was acceptable because of the quality of both teams — but there was one game this season that was an “embarrassment”.
Against PSG, Liverpool was knocked out on penalties after a grueling two games plus extra time. And then a few days later, it looked exhausted at Wembley in the Carabao Cup final against a Newcastle team playing the game of its life.
“Of course you reflect,” Slot said during his pre-Everton press conference. “You reflect on the first eight or nine months, and the last part before the break. Mostly I’m rational. I said immediately after we lost the final, it wasn’t only negatives.
“We also extended our lead to 12 points so that tells you we did really well in the league. That we lose to one of the best teams in Europe was far from ideal but if I have to go out of a tournament, I prefer to go out against PSG, or to lose against Newcastle which are a good team.
“But I think it is an embarrassment if you lose against Plymouth Argyle. I do respect them a lot but they are not of PSG’s quality, or Newcastle’s quality. If you have to leave a tournament, do it by being beaten against two very good teams.”
It was a tough week for Liverpool before the international calendar resumed, with the effort put into the PSG game, both physically and mentally, seemingly taking its toll. But Slot refused to use that as an excuse for a tired showing against Newcastle.
“In the PSG game, I don’t think in the eight or nine months I have been in this job, I’ve not seen my players work as hard as they did in the 120 minutes,” Slot said. “Maybe that’s also why we looked tired in the final.
(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
“But maybe I don’t give the right credit to Newcastle. They made it so difficult for us because of their game plan. When we were fit and Newcastle play like they did, it would still be a very difficult job for us to win that game.
“I don’t think we were tired. Against PSG we were incredible in terms of work rate and in terms of intensity. They are maybe a bit more refreshed than a normal international break because most of them had a few days off as well for the first time in months.”
Liverpool.com says: If Liverpool goes on to secure the Premier League title then this season will have clearly been a huge success. The Reds were not favored to go all the way and win it at the first time of asking under Slot and so have outperformed expectations. Next year, they might also not be quite so unlucky as to draw PSG in the last-16 of the Champions League.
