Defender Joe Gomez is expected to train on Friday so could be available for Sunday, but Slot ruled out a return to the matchday squad for midfielder Wataru Endo.
He said managing game time is key for January’s relentless fixture schedule and that is why he replaced Florian Wirtz with Cody Gakpo in the second half against Leeds.
Slot said if there was “something positive” to take from the draw with Leeds it is that “everyone stayed fit” and the side “kept a clean sheet”.
On picking up momentum recently: “It’s clear and obvious that we hardly concede chances any more against the opponents we’ve had in the past seven or eight games. But it’s also clear and obvious that we find it quite hard to generate enough chances for all the ball possession we have.”
Slot went on to say that the lack of creativity is “not new for us this season” and “sometimes you need a bit of magic to unlock a game, or a set-piece”.
He said being fourth in the league is a “fair” assessment of their season so far as “it’s been a constant battle” for the first 19 games.
Slot thanked set-piece coach Aaron Briggs, who left the club this week, for being “a big help” and “a big part of winning the league” last season. He did not comment on the possibility of bringing in Feyenoord’s Etienne Reijnen as Briggs’ replacement.
On opponents Fulham: “They will try to attack a lot and want to have the ball a lot. It will probably be a much more open game. It’s a difficult one as we lost the last time we went there against a good Fulham team.”
Good chance to get at these if we can be arsed. They’ve got a few away at the AFCON and Tete picked up an injury the other day and misses out.
I’d bring Gakpo back in to add a bit of firepower with either Jones or Wirtz making way (depending on Wirtz’s fitness). No MacAllister please.
We need the 3 points because we’re getting fuck all at Arsenal.
A couple of points that I am mumbling over but cannot articulate into something more concise/precise..
There is a seduction is trying to invent/define key performance indicators to achieve a goal and then trying to use the same to defend not attaining the desired goal - i.e. scoring more goals than the opposition. At some point defining and padding out the spreadsheet becomes the goal rather than actual goals.
For me Slot comes across as a poor communicator - regarding his interface with the media at least. The press conferences always come across as a bit awkward, and no, I haven’t seen the obligatory 10… I appreciate he cannot say what he wants all the time but it comes across as a chore, and I appreciate it is a chore, but in his position it is a a key interface and the management team should be seeing it as an opportunity rather than the “let’s get this over with”.
You could say exactly the same thing about Klopp though. He obviously fucking hated press conferences. He was very short with the media, and could barely be arsed to hide the fact that he thought they were all pricks.
‘Let’s get this over with’ could have been written as a review of Jurgen’s press releases.
Yet, we’d never saw Klopp was a poor communicator.
I wasn’t comparing… but with Klopp, there is an overall package to consider. Klopp to a large extent wore this heart on his sleave, the strategy and remit were clear and the press conferences were actually a bit of theatre that often added to to the overall strategy. With Slot it is a bit stochastic and wooden and comes across as “I’ll just wing it”… As I’m still not quite sure who he is personality wise or what he is trying to achieve regarding how he wants Liverpool to play, I look to these platforms to peer through the fog.
As I said previously, he seems very guarded and maybe that is all we will have but at the end of the day, the overall package is what counts and he (and the team) could use the pressers as a opportunity rather than the way they are now and rather to drive an agenda or shed some light on their process.
God I hope today’s game is a big improvement on that bore fest against Leeds. Jeez, I’ve never been so relieved to hear the final whistle. If Fulham sit deep, and they will, have we got the keys to unlock their defence? Maybe an opp for young Rio.
It is just my opinion and I guess a personal take away. It’s like all the lecturers I heard/sat through - some you just get, the vast majority are ok and some that are just work. Slot for me is in between the “ok” to “work” buckets. Again, this is a personal take and I’m sure to some he is some one you just get.
As I mentioned, I look to the pressers to a glimpse of the overall plan. He, and the team, don’t have to spell it out and that is ok.
We’ll probably go double false #9’s, although I don’t like Mac being one of those (would prefer Szobo being one, but he’ll probably play inside right).
Might try Gakpo up top if it’s not working, but yeah it’s bad news with Ekitike out, we’ll have to squeeze as much as we can from players available.
