2 months ago
13
Former Liverpool defender Glen Johnson reckons Arne Slot has made a mistake by publicly criticizing how opposing teams approach matches against the Reds, essentially exposing his team's own vulnerabilities.
Following the victory over Manchester United, the Dutch manager questioned Ruben Amorim's tactics in the 2-1 triumph over United, where the Red Devils employed a defensive block and relied on direct passes.
Slot subsequently attempted to clarify his remarks, suggesting they were intended as praise for the opposition's tactical approach against Liverpool. Nevertheless, after the Champions League success against Eintracht Frankfurt, Slot acknowledged his team had improved when dealing with crosses into the penalty area.
He said: "That is a big, big, big difference and you go in at half-time at 1-1 with still the same amount of chances, but people will judge us differently if you don't score them.
"The biggest exception for me compared to the other games we've played was the playing style of our opponent. We got some energy out of the moments we could press them, which in the last four or five games we played, we were not able to press the opponent because the ball wasn't on the ground, it was in the air."
Yet Johnson feels Slot's observations about tactical approaches ought to have remained within the changing room.
Speaking to aceodds.com, Johnson commented: "Every team has their own style and you play with what you've got. Everyone wants to play football, in terms of what we call tiki-taka, which is great.
"But if you're susceptible against long balls, people are going to see that and try to exploit it. These days, everyone's got their own styles, the game's changing really quick.
"People need to do whatever they can to get an advantage on their opponents and if they think going long and attacking certain players and certain areas helps, teams are going to do that.
"Usually the managers take the bullet and protect their players but at the same time, managers will also do what they think will get the best reaction out of their players.
"So if that means pointing the finger at them every now and then, if he's right then it's okay.
"Of course you still need to make sure it's a happy camp and make sure it's constructive what you're actually trying to do rather than dissecting yourself from the team.
"I'm sure he's doing what he thinks is right but in my experience it's always better to have those battles inside the camp and keep it in the dressing room."
Liverpool is set to face Brentford on Saturday, with the aim of halting the team's three-match losing streak in the Premier League and closing the gap on league leader Arsenal. The Gunners will host Crystal Palace at home on Sunday.
English (US) ·