Slot is right to push back on social media jibes, but he is too honest
Arne Slot has earned the right to remind everyone of the significance of his achievements at Liverpool, but a war with fans will help nobody.
During his time as Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp was the subject of a running joke among the Merseyside press pack.
It concerned the fact that, despite regularly insisting that he never read a single word the local reporters wrote, the German always seemed to be aware of their output in any given week, and would often bring it up in press conferences unprompted.
That led to some interesting and prickly exchanges down the years, with many a journalist facing Klopp’s wrath over something they had written.
Where his successor Arne Slot differs is that he does not attempt to keep up the facade of pretending to completely ignore what is said about him, admitting to tuning into talkSPORT on the drive in to work, for example.
But arguably the biggest contrast between Klopp and Slot is that the latter seems more keen to set right the narratives that emerge on social media, rather than just those found in newspapers or on television or radio.
And, as was seen after Wednesday’s win over Qarabag, that can mean being set on a collision course with supporters, instead of the far safer target of journalists.
Speaking in his post-match press conference, the Dutchman bristled over having, in his eyes, been unfairly maligned in online spaces for suggesting 24 hours earlier that there was a possible upside to Liverpool’s early Champions League exit at the hands of Paris Saint-German last season.
Responding to a question about Jeremie Frimpong’s injury, he said: “Maybe I can come back to something I said yesterday.
“I said that it might – might, I used the word might but apparently not everybody is listening properly – have helped us that we lost against Paris Saint-Germain.
“This season shows that if we have to play many games, sometimes you can get injuries as well. And that’s what I meant: we did not face injuries after we went out against Paris Saint-Germain.”
Perhaps Slot was justified in going off on that tangent given there seems to be a desperation of late to use everything he says as a stick with which to beat him.
It might not be a wise thing for reporter to admit, but far too much attention is paid to what managers say in press conferences, particularly when results are poor.
And there is without doubt an unnecessary nastiness to some of the attempts to undermine a league-winning head coach that makes his desire to push back fully understandable.
It is in this context that Slot has recently offered a reminder of Liverpool winning the league just twice in 35 years, given it underlines the quickly forgotten significance of his achievement.
Yet, as much as that is true, you also feel like he could help himself by holding back a little on that famous Dutch honesty as he looks to salvage the season in the weeks and months ahead.
Whatever the intention, Slot’s mention of Liverpool’s Europa League exit at the hands of Atalanta on Wednesday simply came off as a dig at Klopp.
The constant references to last season’s meeting with PSG, which saw the Reds toyed with in the first leg (despite winning) and then knocked out, also clearly need to stop.
