Arne Slot hits back at 'boring' Liverpool claims and defends style - 'Didn't change anything'

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has defended his team's playing style amid accusations of 'boring' football, explaining tactical adjustments during the Reds' recent run of four draws in eight Premier League games

Arne Slot has hit back at claims that Liverpool is playing a boring style(Image: Getty Images)

Arne Slot has staunchly defended his team's recent performances and reiterated his commitment to attacking football at Liverpool.

As the Reds prepare to face Arsenal on Thursday, aiming to narrow a 14-point gap from the leaders, Slot attributes changes in the team's final third performance to a shortage of forwards.

Despite being on an eight-match unbeaten streak in the Premier League, Liverpool will head to the Emirates having drawn four of those games. Following a run of nine losses in 12 matches across all competitions between the end of September and November, Slot has focused on bolstering the defense, especially after a three-game stretch where they suffered a 10-1 aggregate defeat to Manchester City, Nottingham Forest, and PSV.

However, despite recent accusations of "boring" play leveled at the Reds, Slot insists that he and his squad remain committed to aggressive, high-intensity attacking football. This comes as they prepare to face Arsenal without Alexander Isak or Mohamed Salah - who netted a combined total of 52 goals last season - and possibly Hugo Ekitike, who is due for a late fitness test.

"Packing the team with midfielders is not something I am doing by choice," he stated (via the Liverpool Echo). "I am doing it because certain players are not available and that is something that needs to be really clear because I am a manager now for six or seven years and I have always played with wingers and I have always changed my wingers with new wingers coming in.

Liverpool has drawn four of its last eight Premier League games(Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)

"So I always have it 4-3-3 with real wingers and never 5-4-1 or 4-4-2 and I have adjusted it maybe four or five times in my career to bring in a midfielder as a winger because I thought the other team - when I was at different clubs to Liverpool - would have more quality than us so I wanted to make it more solid.

"But if I am known for one thing then it is attacking football, playing a lot of attackers and bringing a lot of attackers in when we are a goal down.

"So I find it hard to hear that we play boring football let alone that I am not playing attackers."

Slot continued: "I agree that [steadying the ship] was the first thing that needed to happen but I didn't do that to try and play defensive football.

"I think that is a misconception. We always pressed the other team as high as we could up the pitch, all over the pitch. And when we have the ball, we try to create as many chances as we can.

"That doesn't really work, that I can see as well, that for all the ball possession we have we don't create enough chances.

"Everyone can see that as well but I haven't gone to a style of football where I started to play with five at the back or we started to go all defending our own box.

"Not at all. We didn't change anything and you cannot have so much ball possession if you don't go and press the opposition high up the pitch.

Arne Slot has defended his playing style this season(Image: Shaun Brooks - CameraSport via Getty Images)

"I did not change our style but teams have changed their style against us. Our style is not to steady the ship, go back and defend your own box for 90 minutes. Not at all.

"Every single game we press them as high as we can but it's no use pressing the goalkeeper if he kicks every ball long. A lot has been said about the difference between how teams play against us and other teams.

"And I know why, because it works really well against us to play long balls and in a low block because we struggle to create chances. I would do it.

"Fulham not once, even against Arsenal and Manchester City it was 4-3-3, 4-3-3, and the question is why did they play with five against us? I can answer that question but it would not be smart of me to do so."