Arne Slot makes alarming confidence admission as Liverpool prepares for PSG clash

The Dutchman has complained about Liverpool's inability to convert chances this season, and made a shock claim before the Champions League quarter-final tie in Paris

Arne Slot admitted there might be a slight issue with Liverpool's confidence

Arne Slot admitted a lack of belief may have affected Liverpool’s attacking output this season.

Failing to establish healthy leads in games has been a recurring issue for the Reds, as was evident on Saturday in the FA Cup loss to Manchester City. Despite creating several good openings, Liverpool failed to score inside the opening 35 minutes. By the hour mark, it was trailing 4-0.

Slot bemoaned his side’s inability to match its expected goals of around 1.4 post-match, which has been a common occurrence this campaign, while the Dutchman also feels Liverpool has been unlucky in conceding so many chances.

That potent cocktail is bound to affect the team, and Slot acknowledged that his players’ confidence levels may have been impacted by the events of recent months.

“Maybe in finishing because this season, I think we can constantly see the same pattern, that we get enough chances to score, but we struggle to score,” the former Feyenoord boss told TNT Sports ahead of the Champions League clash against PSG.

"If we score one, we could easily score two or three, but then we're already happy with scoring one. That could be to do with confidence.”

Salah has been among the most wasteful players for Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)

Slot also claimed that inability to convert chances contrasts with last season’s trip to Paris, when somehow Liverpool escaped with a 1-0 victory despite PSG dominating the game.

“That is a great example of how nice football is, and how special football is, because the way we played here last season... that was a 4-0 loss performance. But we beat them 1-0,” said the Liverpool head coach.

“What we can take from that is that they are able to play with an intensity and a tempo and can generate a lot of chances.

“But if we keep fighting, back then we had a very good goalkeeper with Alisson Becker, and we now have one with Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Slot faces a return to Paris a year on from its Champions League exit

“There's always a chance on the other side to hurt them in a counter-attack, and that's what we did last time when we were here.

“There are some tactical things we can take from that game, because PSG have kept on playing the same style as last season.”

PSG ultimately won that tie last season courtesy of a penalty shootout victory at Anfield, and Slot and Liverpool are out for revenge 13 months on.

“I have watched quite a lot of games of them [PSG] and they are just as impressive, maybe even more impressive, this season,” Slot in Tuesday’s press conference. “There's even more rotations and they are still a very good team.

“But as it is in football, details can decide a lot because who takes penalties best? That is what made the difference last season for Paris Saint-Germain to beat us and then go all the way to win the final, and usually a team needs to win a penalty shootout [to win a trophy].”