- 10 hours ago
Arne Slot on Liverpool's Villa trip and seeing out his contract
14/05/2026
AXA training centre, Liverpool, UK
14/05/2026
AXA training centre, Liverpool, UK
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00:00that question
00:03yeah
00:08check on fitness
00:09first of all
00:11Alisson, Florian, Ibu
00:15Ibu is ok
00:16trained with us
00:17Mo
00:19will be available tomorrow
00:21for only
00:23a few minutes
00:24but hopefully he can come in
00:29Alisson
00:31trained with us again, let's see where he is
00:34tomorrow, if he's ready already or
00:35has to wait for one more week
00:37beautiful socks by the way
00:41wow
00:43and the
00:43and the fourth one
00:46was Florian
00:48yeah, stomach infection
00:49so
00:52let's see how fit he is for tomorrow
00:53he's on antibiotics so let's see
00:57if he's ready
00:58to play tomorrow
00:58can I just check on Alisson's future as well
01:00please on
01:01because
01:02obviously
01:03numerous reports
01:03that he could leave
01:04this summer
01:05have there been talks with Juventus?
01:07what chances there are
01:08maybe these two remaining games
01:09could be his last
01:10difficult
01:13and that's what he's going to do
01:14same old answer
01:18so I'm reading the same things as you are probably reading but that's not where I will talk about over
01:26here
01:27but obviously the fans
01:29obviously the fans if he is today would want to give him a send-off
01:32so that's obviously why the question is being asked
01:35oh yeah but you can ask the question as many times as you want in different ways
01:39but my answer will be the same so I think our fans need to support Alisson no matter if this
01:45is his last game or his first game
01:47and that's what they've always done with all of our players so if he's in goal tomorrow our fans will
01:53support him and if he's in goal next week they will support him and the same goes for next season
01:58obviously as well against Chelsea we saw a reaction we know you were disappointed at the final whistle as well
02:04so how would you sum up the mood around the club going into these remaining two games?
02:07how would you sum up your own mood?
02:09yeah we wanted to win because we knew that if we would have won that game we would have qualified
02:15for Champions League
02:18but we tried till the last second everything to win that game
02:22where in the second half people could see that probably a bit more because we were more on the front
02:27foot
02:27and put more on their half than we were in large parts of the first half
02:31but in the end as so many times this season the crossbar and the post were in between us drawing
02:39or winning a game
02:41and as a result we had a draw which is not the result we wanted
02:45but it's still a point where one week earlier we were heading towards a point or maybe towards a win
02:51and in the end lost it
02:52so we take that point and we go to Villa which has been a very good team this season
03:00and now we have to try to win over there
03:05and in terms of Villa they have a very congested running or they have a very congested running as well
03:11similar to what I suppose you just wanted to have had at this stage of the season
03:16can you take advantage of that that hopefully their eyes might not be completely closed from this
03:21or they'll be tired or how does it work?
03:25No, they played Sunday I think so now we play on Friday so I don't see being tired as a
03:32reason
03:33I think one of the reasons why they are in the final of the Europa League and doing so well
03:38in the Premier League
03:39is because they have a big squad with many, many, many very good players
03:42and a lot of players that are of the same level, same high level
03:49if you don't have that you're not able to go all the way to the final in the Europa League
03:54and do so well in the Premier League
03:56and the good thing for them is that at the moment they have one or two injuries
04:02but not so many so I think they are completely ready to go into Friday, to go into Wednesday
04:09and then go into Sunday.
04:11I know you aren't talking about players that may or may not believe
04:15but obviously we know Andy Roberts and he's going to be part of the end of the season
04:18and I'm sure the club will make lovely tributes to him when he gets to that point as well
04:23just from our perspective that we personally don't want to get it all lost at the end of the season
04:28and given that he's been here such a long time and such a great player
04:31I'm just wondering if you can give us a few thoughts on exactly what he's done here
04:37and what he means and what a gap he would potentially leave behind?
04:43I think he's one of the, maybe the player that changed that position into a player that constantly goes up
04:55and down and up and down.
04:56I think we all, and I said this before, we all remember the clip where he started to press from
05:02left full-back
05:03and ended up at the right wing and went again.
05:05I think many, many, many, many, many managers showed that at that time to their players,
05:11I was one of them, to show what a mentality and what an intensity he played with then
05:17and I think throughout this whole period he played with that intensity.
05:21He's becoming a full-back that, like I said, constantly went up and down
05:27and being important on both sides of the pitch where back in the old days defenders mainly had to defend.
05:34He's one of the full-backs that changed that position to doing both.
05:39And apart from that he's a great human being, I think I've experienced that in the two years I'm working
05:44with him
05:45and I think every fan recognises what I say when we see social media posts
05:51or in other moments when he's just playing and he always gives his best for the club on and off
05:56the pitch.
05:57So he's been a very influential player for this club on the pitch but definitely also in the dressing room.
06:06It's the last away game of the season, how would you reflect overall on your lead campaign away from home?
06:14That is one of the reasons why we're in the position we are in.
06:18And what I mean with that is we wanted to be higher or doing better this season,
06:22but we've dropped far too many points in away games and as I said,
06:27that's maybe always happening in the end of the season,
06:30you constantly feel you are telling everyone the same things.
06:32But dropping points in away games has mainly happened after playing in Europe.
06:39In games where usually Liverpool is able to win,
06:44now Villa away doesn't matter if you play it after a game in Europe or after a week of rest,
06:49because it will always be a difficult game,
06:51but we've dropped points in away games against teams
06:54where we usually don't drop points and that has this season happened far too many times
06:59after playing in Europe.
07:02And that's one of the reasons why we have not qualified yet for the Champions League.
07:09So is that one of the challenges for next season,
07:11to be able to see out games that you should win or even at least get a draw from?
07:18No, first of all, the first challenge is to be fitter and more ready to play three days
07:23or sometimes two days after we've played in Europe.
07:26And I think we've shown this season that we've progressed in that,
07:30so that's already helpful.
07:31Second of all, indeed, we've had more than a few times in away games
07:35a good starting position, but after 70 or 80 minutes we were in a good place.
07:42But maybe that goes hand in hand.
07:44And we've also dropped points quite a lot in the last phase of a game,
07:48which maybe also has to do with the amount of games we have to play.
07:51That's not different to any other team,
07:52but it's been done by mainly the same players.
07:56I think the number one and the number two this season,
07:59in terms of playing minutes all around the world,
08:02number one is Virgil van Dijk and number two is Dominic Sotterslein.
08:05And in the top 15, top 20, there are five or six players of us.
08:10So that's also why I have so much respect for these players,
08:13that they are in a difficult season, physically and mentally.
08:17They have constantly been available and that's been mainly the same players.
08:43I think the world has gone to if a manager has, or a club,
08:49and as a result of that the manager doesn't have their best season,
08:52there's always debate about that.
08:54It's not only Liverpool, it's all around the world.
08:57That is also the new reality in football.
09:00And it's not up to me to judge the people that judge me.
09:06So they have every right to have their opinion.
09:10And in this modern time everyone can share his opinion as well.
09:14So yeah, by the way this happened 10-15 years ago as well,
09:18but then you did it in the pub and not everyone heard it.
09:22Now it's probably also done in the pub.
09:24If I read what they are saying, they must have drunk a little bit.
09:30But that's a joke.
09:35So yeah, but now it's more out in the open than it was back in the days.
09:40And that's everywhere the same,
09:41so I would be surprised if that would have been different here at Liverpool.
09:44Have you had any questions about running for the next six?
09:49I know we're still in this year,
09:50the two games to go and the plans have to be in place for the summer.
09:54Have you had those goals here?
09:56Yeah, we know where we go on tour.
09:59So plans have been made and talks have been ongoing between the club
10:07and new players and I'm involved in that.
10:10If that's what you want to know.
10:14I know I'm probably not going to get answered this question,
10:17but I'll try one more thing.
10:18You said it was a few weeks ago,
10:21you were very close to agreeing a deal.
10:24Obviously, if you would not have anything else,
10:27obviously there would be like the end of the season.
10:29Is there like a new resolution before one way or the other?
10:33If there's a resolution, is that what you say?
10:36Yeah, then we will tell the world.
10:39But at this moment of time it's not yet.
10:41So yeah, the moment it is we will share this information.
10:45But indeed, as you say, you knew what the answer was going to be.
10:49James?
10:50Arne, can I just ask you about Harvey Elliott?
10:52His loan at Villa has worked out how anyone would have been visiting.
10:56He played 280 minutes all season.
10:58How do you view this, the way it's worked out for him,
11:02and what about his future beyond this season?
11:04Yeah.
11:05No, I think for him, for everyone, it didn't work out as he wanted it,
11:10as we wanted it, and probably also how Villa wanted it,
11:12because you usually sign a player or bring him in on loan to use him.
11:18But it hasn't happened a lot, and that's not for me to answer why that is.
11:22But of course, it's never nice for a player not to make so many minutes,
11:26especially after the season he had with us, where he made, I assume,
11:30I'm not even sure, but I assume he made more minutes with us than these 280.
11:33But he went over there to get more playing time.
11:37But unfortunately that didn't happen,
11:38and for such a talented player that did so well,
11:42what was the Euros, I think it was?
11:44Yeah, that did so well, you want a player like that to get more and more playing time.
11:51But yeah, he went to a very good team as well,
11:56where they also have a lot of good players,
11:58so I don't know why he hasn't made the minutes.
12:03He was expecting, but that's not for me to answer.
12:07But it's always a pity if a player doesn't play.
12:09Hardly plays for two years, let alone if a player of that age
12:13has shown during the Euros that he's such a good player.
12:21He's contracted to us, so he will be with us at the start of the season.
12:25Yeah, I think he's contracted to us, yeah, of course he is, yeah.
12:30Hi, Ernest, we've heard you phrasing Andy,
12:35so do you see Milos on this level yet?
12:39Yeah, because Milos has played a lot of games,
12:42so if I had a different opinion about that,
12:43then it would have been a weird decision to play Milos.
12:47So I think a completely different age,
12:51but both with similar types, you could say.
12:54Both have a lot of desire to go up and down.
12:59There are also differences,
13:01but I think it's not the place for me to speak about
13:04what the difference between these two are.
13:05But because there are differences,
13:07I also used both of them quite a lot
13:12for what I thought was needed for that game.
13:14But Milos has a bright future,
13:17being at this age,
13:18having the experience already of so many Premier League games,
13:23having the experience now of playing for a top club,
13:25Champions League and Premier League football here at Liverpool,
13:29that his performances can only go up
13:32and we're already happy with what we are seeing from him.
13:50I don't think I'm deciding that alone on myself,
13:53but I have every reason to believe I'm the Liverpool manager next season.
13:58First of all, I'm contracted to this club,
14:00and second of all from all the talks we are having.
14:06So yeah, that is my take on it.
14:09But as you said, if you don't have the best season,
14:12especially if you compare it with last season,
14:14if you compare it with other seasons,
14:15maybe you have a different debate,
14:16but if you compare it with last season,
14:18this has definitely not been a great season,
14:21then it's also normal that criticism comes.
14:24And I think we've all had our share.
14:28And with all I mean the players have had their share,
14:30the manager have had their share,
14:31and other people in the club have had their share.
14:33That is how things work nowadays if you don't win the league.
14:42Hi, you mentioned in the post-match press conference after the Chelsea game
14:46that you hadn't been telling the players to be passive or sort of sit back on them.
14:51But there was definitely moments in that first half in particular
14:54where they weren't pressing Chelsea frequently as they had previously
14:58and the crowd kind of got involved.
15:00Is there any concern for you the fact that you're not telling them to do this,
15:04but these things are still happening in England?
15:05No, not at all.
15:07Because this is what football brings.
15:09So the intention, as I've said after the game,
15:12is never to end up in a low block.
15:14But we are playing Premier League and Champions League,
15:17and sometimes you face teams that are also very comfortable and good on the ball.
15:21Chelsea is definitely one of them, as three or four or five others.
15:24They like to have ball possession.
15:26I can also turn it around.
15:27I don't think it was Chelsea's intention to be constantly on their own half in the second half.
15:32I would be completely surprised because that's not their style of play.
15:35But sometimes the other team is better,
15:37or has a phase of the game where they are better,
15:39and then you have to defend.
15:41And the team that is going to win the league,
15:43at least I assume Arsenal is going to win the league,
15:46is a team that has large spells in the game where they have to defend in a low block.
15:52And they do that really well, by the way.
15:54That's also one of the reasons why they are going to win the league.
15:58And you have to sometimes accept that you don't want this,
16:02but if the other team is having the ball,
16:03then you have to defend, which is quite common in football.
16:08That you defend with 11 players, that's the new reality in football.
16:14Ideally you do it high up the pitch, but if that's not possible because the other team is having a
16:18good spell,
16:18you have to try to keep a clean sheet,
16:21and this is where we have not been good enough this season,
16:24the moment when we have to defend, when we have a spell of 10-15 minutes,
16:27because it was not so much longer than 10-15 minutes against Chelsea.
16:31For the rest of the game I think we were the dominant team.
16:35But in that 10-15 minutes, 25 minutes, I don't know exactly,
16:39we conceded a goal, and that's also a worry.
16:42And in the other minutes when we are the better team we struggle
16:45to either create enough chances from being the better team,
16:48and if we have the chances we've struggled to score the goals that we should score
16:53if you look at chances created.
16:57Especially if you compare this to last season,
16:59because I don't think we've had so much more chances than last season,
17:02but last season we were much better able to convert them to goals.
17:07Do you think there's anything you can do to try and change that momentum a little bit quickly?
17:11There's been a few games this season where it's felt like
17:13they've taken the lead and tried to get that second level,
17:17but then there's been a moment where it's almost switched a little bit
17:19and they've become a little bit more worried about conceding
17:23rather than continuing to attack.
17:24Is there anything you can do or maybe say to them at half-time or after the game
17:29to try and keep that momentum up and keep them...
17:34Of course, we can do something about that, and we try to,
17:38and I also think you saw this because the second half was completely different than the first half.
17:45During a spell of 10-15 minutes where the other team is better,
17:48it's not so easy to speak to all 11 players to do something else,
17:56but it's a situation where Chelsea had the ball, they could find their sixes a lot,
18:01could go to the end phase of our attack, and the moment we won the ball back,
18:04we were with 11 players behind the ball, we didn't have a player to play into and to come off.
18:10And this is so normal, so normal if you watch the Premier League,
18:16you constantly see this everywhere that because the league has become so strong
18:22that every team in any game has a 10-15 minute spell where one of the two teams is better.
18:29You can also look at it differently and say that we've been...
18:33I don't think I exaggerate over 70 or 80 per cent of the time of the games we played the
18:38better team.
18:39I think I saw a stat that we've been most in the final third of every team in the Premier
18:44League.
18:45I'm sure I saw that stat, by the way.
18:50But that doesn't lead to enough chances.
18:54And we are aware why that is.
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