Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has confirmed that he is expecting his players back for preseason training in early July – as he issued a challenge to next year’s squad to prove they are “serial winners”.
The Dutchman has made history during his first year in the Anfield hotseat, having delivered the club’s 20th league title and a first top flight triumph in front of fans in 35 years. He is now preparing to lift the Premier League trophy in front of the Kop following this weekend’s clash with Crystal Palace.
In the build up to this momentous occasion, the ex-Feyenoord boss waxed lyrical about the contributions of Mohamed Salah to the Reds’ successful title charge. However, it is clear that Slot is determined to get the same levels of performances out of his troops next term as he looks to defend his hard-earned crown.
Speaking at a press conference ahead of the final curtain call of the campaign up against the FA Cup winners, Slot called on his players to maintain the standards they have set for themselves during his first season. He said: “What I don’t know yet, and that’s going to be the interested one, is if we have this elite mentality.”
“This serial winner mentality of showing up season, after season, after season and I think I’ll get the answer already on the 8th of July when we come back together to see what shape the players are in,” he continued.
“Not every player has this elite mentality. Last season Mo was the one who was the fittest when we arrived back after the break.”
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Issuing a further challenge to next year’s squad and any incoming additions, he asserted: “That is the mentality you have to have for a chance of becoming a serial winner. That’s something the players, and myself, have to prove and the first day for me to judge that is the 8th of July.”
Meanwhile, Slot admitted that he cannot expect an improvement from talisman Salah next year, given his extraordinary contributions in this title-winning campaign. He said: “In terms of individual performance, that would be hardly possible – although never say that something is impossible for Mo because he’s proven that he can always raise his game even further.
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“That’s also the elite mentality that a star player should have. Never be satisfied with where you are – and that’s the mentality he has.
“In terms of [the] team, we can do a bit better because we’ve played for four trophies and we’ve only – only – won one. The hardest [trophy], I would say. The biggest, you can always debate on that.”
For now, Slot is determined to bask in the success of his first term at Anfield after a remarkable season as he prepares to lift the Premier League trophy in the coming days. Describing his feelings before a landmark occasion, he said: “I think proud sums [it] up the most. Because after working here for a year now, I know even better how hard it is.
“That’s why I just said it’s the hardest trophy to win. Because cup trophies you can – it doesn’t have to be – you can win those by a lucky draw or being lucky in two or three games by maybe winning a penalty shootout and then all of a sudden you arrive in the final.
Slot added: “But it’s always harder to win the league because it’s 38 games and in a period of time where the league has never been as strong as it is.”
