Arne Slot has identified the dark-art tactic that he believes casts a shadow over the Premier League. Fresh off clinching the title with ease, the Liverpool manager felt compelled to unload his one considerable grievance.
While acknowledging that some teams cleverly adjusted their tactics to neutralize Liverpool’s formidable play, Slot is adamant that in the 11 matches where Liverpool left points on the table — drawing eight and losing three out of 36 Premier League fixtures — they were frequently the victims of a tactic rife within the league: time-wasting.
The Reds’ head coach detailed his concern by saying: “Teams got to know us better and tried to find answers to our playing style.
“But one of the things you cannot do anything about is that tactics are being used that have nothing to do with football,” he told the Mirror.
He lamented practices such as “Delaying the start of the game, pretending you are injured, taking one minute for a free-kick, one minute for a throw-in. That is my main worry.
“Every time we drop points, that happened… goalkeepers taking one and a half minutes,” he continued.
“When we have dropped points, that tactic was used. I like to say it now after us winning the league, not losing a game.”
(Image: Getty Images)
The issue of time-wasting has clearly irked Slot, but he’s been patient in choosing the right moment to express his frustration with a tactic that’s becoming more widespread.
Although he wasn’t entirely on board with the timing of his remarks – following Manchester City‘s goalless draw against bottom-of-the-table Southampton – Slot understood Ruben Dias’ perspective when he lambasted the home team’s strategy at St Mary’s.
Slot remarked: “Ruben Dias said something about it too, which is not always the best moment to say it after dropping points. But for me he was right.
“Southampton can do what they want but I think we as a league must find an answer. People always tell you the Premier League is so intense, so intense
(Image: Photo by Alex Livesey – Danehouse/Getty Images)
“But there are tactics to slow the game down. I don’t wake up during the night but if I did I might be like … ‘S***! There’s no answer to be found to that type of play’.”
As Slot’s champions gear up for Monday night’s clash with Brighton & Hove Albion, the Liverpool head coach will also be keeping a keen eye on the Europa League final between Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao come Wednesday.
Slot believes that with Champions League teams no longer dropping into the secondary competition post-qualifying rounds, English teams could start to dominate this tier of European football.
He stated: “I wouldn’t be surprised if in the upcoming years the Conference League and the Europa League finals will be dominated by English teams. Because in the past you could go as the number two of Italy or the number two of Spain and you could go back to the Europa League or to the Conference League level.
“But now it’s always the number four of Spain or the number five of Spain that has to play the number four or five or six of England. And I think England has a, money-wise, a big, big, big difference between the number five of Spain and the number five or six of England.”
