No it doesn’t.
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Therefore it means motivation is overrated?
I agree with you on professionalism and personal standards, no question. Every player is ultimately responsible for their own performance, focus, and the impact of their actions on the team. That’s the foundation of elite sport. But here’s the key point: individual standards don’t drop in a vacuum.
When a whole group of players is simultaneously underperforming, losing concentration, and making uncharacteristic mistakes, that’s rarely just “individual pride.” That’s usually a symptom of tactical uncertainty, lack of clarity, or low belief in the system they’re being asked to execute. Players are human, and confidence and belief shape performance just as much as professionalism does. You can be the most dedicated professional in the world, but if you’re unsure of the structure behind you or you don’t fully believe in the approach, you hesitate. And hesitation looks like mistakes, lapses, and lower intensity.
Regarding Pep and Arteta, yes, they are absolutely strong motivators, just in very different ways than a Klopp-style “emotional motivator.” Pep motivates through absolute clarity, structure, and tactical confidence. His players know exactly where to be, what their role is, and what the collective mechanism is meant to achieve. That clarity is motivation because it removes doubt and gives players confidence.
Arteta motivates through emotional connection and identity. Listen to his team talks; they are full of belief-building, identity, and emotional framing. He’s intense, but he connects deeply with players and gives them a sense of purpose. So motivation isn’t always shouting or hugging; it is providing clarity, building belief, reinforcing identity, and giving players psychological certainty. Right now, our players lack that psychological certainty. That’s why:
• pressing shape looks disjointed,
• intensity is inconsistent,
• decision-making is hesitant,
• individual errors are increasing.
These aren’t just lapses in professionalism; they’re signs of a group not fully convinced by, or synchronized with, the tactical direction. A coach’s job is more than designing tactics; it’s creating the mental conditions under which players can perform at their peak. When the belief isn’t there, even great professionals look ordinary, and that’s what we’re seeing.
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No the question is whether it matters if a coach is a good motivator, you missed the point again!
…and he’s won fuck all in 6 years
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I don’t think we can have it both ways when it comes to motivation.
If we are saying that he is a poor motivator during a bad run, then we should be able to say that he was a good motivator during a good run.
Unless of course the opinion is so biased that we only want negative data points to form a negative opinion. At which point the decision is currently very easy. Sack him.
Thankfully FSG are a bit more measured, though not blind, as he doesn’t have their unlimited patience.
As for motivation, it predominantly comes from the individual. I must show up and give the best version of myself, according to my ability.
Then it’s on the manager of the team to harness that toward a shared strategy and vision. It’s a legitimate criticism that it’s very cloudy on that front for Slot this season.
Not necessarily, it always depends on the context but I don’t see how one can assume just because a manager/ head coach has a successful season it proves they are a brilliant motivator.
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Motivation is not a permanent state; it fluctuates with context, circumstances, squad dynamics, and belief in the current approach. You can absolutely have a manager who motivates a team effectively one season and struggles the next. This happens across football constantly:
• Ferguson had seasons where motivation dipped.
• Pep had years where City “fell off” despite the same methods.
• Klopp himself had seasons where Liverpool looked mentally drained.
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Or indeed, after a successful season… I don’t see how it can be assumed that he is a poor motivator, based on less than half a season’s work, with so many other factors adding to the current situation we have.
My statement was made as a counterpoint to people saying he is a bad motivator.
Exactly, it isn’t about motivation it is tactics which I can understand and as I said I am lost at what Arne is trying to do and the lethargy in our style of play
However, it still doesn’t excuse what Ibou did or Virg with the handball or why Macca seems to lack energy and with Mo it is his age.
There a Lot of factors that don’t involve motivation as to why players aren’t performing, to me a big one is jeopardy i.e no competition for their place.
It seems s some not motivated to do well with Liverpool and better with their international team?
Its when that motivation or lack thereof becomes 10-15 games in a row with no wins, thats when coaches get fired
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Weirdly all this motivation talk has left me unmotivated to continue reading
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Why? There are a range of factors at play here. You can’t just assume that he has great motivational skills just because the team won the league. For a start, he has since had a change of assistant who may have provided the sort of link that Pako did for Rafa.
No, actually having some evidence would be helpful. Lazily comparing it with the previous season is simply nonsense. Arsenal and city were nowhere near as good last season as they were the year before when they both posted 90+ points and finished ahead of us.
That is what I am saying, motivation is hard to quantify, which I think Jabu has covered well, but for me it shouldn’t just come from the coach.
I do think, if we had Jurgen, we would have responded better especially with the loss of Diogo and the changes in squad personnel and that would be down to the person he is.
But our malaise isn’t just on Arne, the players have to take rsponsibilityB for their own individual performance.
Lastly have some been with us too long have, they become stale to what it means to play for us and in front our fans?
I agree tactics are a major issue right now. The lethargy, poor pressing, and lack of structure show that the players either don’t fully understand or don’t fully believe in what Arne is trying to do. That part is on the manager. But tactical confusion and motivation aren’t separate. When a system isn’t clear, confidence drops. When confidence drops, intensity and focus suffer even for top professionals. That’s when you see things like Ibou’s decision, Virgil’s handball, or Macca looking leggy. Not because they don’t care, but because they’re reacting without certainty. You’re right about jeopardy, too. Competition for places is one of the strongest motivators in elite sport. Right now, too many players feel undroppable (Gakpo), and standards slip when there’s no real pressure behind you. As for players doing better for their national teams, that’s often down to clearer roles, simpler tactics, and a burst of identity/pride. It doesn’t mean they don’t care about Liverpool, it means the current club environment is giving them less clarity and confidence than the international setup. So yes, it’s not just motivation. It’s a mix of unclear tactics, low confidence, reduced competition, and individual lapses all feeding into each other. That’s why the whole team looks off.
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I think @RER 's would argue that it is more than half a season though, as we struggled throughout much of the second half of last season.
With respect, I don’t think it comes across as a particularly strong one, and feels like you are grasping for straws a little.
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I’ll comment on the range of factors thing. That rings true, as whatever a team does, however it performs, is down to many, many things.
So to my mind it won’t do to lazily say Slot is a poor motivator as there is much more to our slump than that, just as there was much more to last season’s league victory than good motivation.
As for last season’s struggle, I hope we struggle to that degree every season and win the league will similar ease.
If I’m a marathon runner and I smash the field and move so far ahead of them that I can coast home for the last 5-10 miles, and finish in first place by a distance, I would laugh at people who pull me up for my poor time for the last 5-10 miles 
I don’t think he is a poor motivator at all, far from it. I just think the context and factors have changed, and his message is not getting through. That does not make him bad, jus ineffective this season
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