Liverpool manager Arne Slot has revealed that he considers playing “nice football” a greater pursuit than winning trophies, which may not sit well with supporters already unhappy with the team’s sharp decline off the back of last season’s Premier League title.
Having delivered silverware with the team he inherited from Anfield legend Jürgen Klopp, Slot has set about putting his own stamp on a new-look Liverpool and it is yet to work.
Ultimately results are everything in any sport, especially for an institution with the incredibly rich history of success that Liverpool have. But Slot seems to think the “biggest thing” is not trophies.
“As a manager, you can win the league, Champions League, the FA Cup or the League Cup but the biggest thing you can win is that you can play the nicest football to watch,” he said during The Reds Roundtable, an official club podcast.
Slot, who was sat beside sporting director Richard Hughes and FSG chief executive Billy Hogan, even acknowledged that it might not be something fans want to hear.
“Although, at this moment in time, fans might argue a little bit. It is absolutely something that I am aiming for,” the Dutchman said.
“I always want to have the ball, I want it to be intense and want the fans to like what they see. Not all of our fans see it as a joy to watch and the hardest thing is I even understand, I agree with them. Trophies is one thing but being a team, club or a manager that stands for good football, is in the long-term worth more.”
Liverpool Optimistic About Future Under Arne Slot
On the same recording, Hughes offered his support for Slot in what has been a transitional period. The retired midfielder expressed confidence that, because Liverpool have chosen players believed to be right for the project, things will eventually come good.
“As long as the players are the right ones in the first place, and we are absolutely convinced every time we bring someone in that they are, then the performances on the pitch will quickly follow,” he said.
Hughes also shed light on a patience-first approach from the club with regard to the evolving squad delivering on the pitch: “You want to be there to support them and not suffocate them with it, let them find their own feet.”
The sporting director has a similar approach with Slot, allowing the Dutchman room to breathe, rather than trying to micro-manage situations.
“Of course we talk about football and performances but I always let Arne lead that,” Hughes said, who explained that “always waiting for the right time” to offer his opinion is “critical.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Worth More’—Arne Slot Risks Wrath of Liverpool Fans With Strange Claim.
