Arne Slot’s sole focus is on Liverpool form amid reports of a new contract
By Jonathan Veal, PA
Liverpool boss Arne Slot is only worried about arresting his side’s worrying slump amid reports of him signing a new contract.
The Dutchman is facing the first real test of his Anfield reign as the Premier League champions have suffered four successive defeats as part of a wider run of six losses in seven games in all competitions.
Despite that, reports suggest Slot is in talks over a new deal, but that is not where his focus is.
Asked about a possible new contract, he said ahead of Saturday’s clash with Aston Villa: “That was the last question I was expecting.
“My focus is completely getting Liverpool back on winning ways, that’s my first answer.
“My second answer is that contract talks if they are there we never speak about this in here. The first thought is to win again, that’s where my main focus is on.”
Serious questions are being asked of Liverpool and the cause of their severe drop off from the side that coasted to the title last season and won their opening seven competitive games this term.
Slot, who was keen to steer away from “excuses” for his side’s poor run but did cite injuries and a packed schedule, is confident his side have the quality to end their alarming slide.
“The thing that gives me the most confidence is the quality of the players,” he added.
“We have to address certain other things, but if I’m speaking about what we have to improve, people then tell me I’m using excuses.
“So maybe it’s better now just to say we need to address certain things. But there are a lot of positives to go into this week as well.
“We miss nothing. I am completely happy with the team and with all the quality that we have and I am also completely convinced by the strategy and the policy that we have.
“But that makes the issue – if you call it an issue – is not all of them have had a proper pre-season or have been injured.
“When three or four are injured you go back to 16 players. I am a firm believer that 20 or 21 players is enough but you have to keep them fit as we did last season.
“It has been more difficult than last season to keep them all available and if a few of them are not available, it comes down a lot to the same players.
“Maybe last season we were more lucky and now we are more unlucky.
“But, no excuses for our results before people say this. We have had to play a lot of away games with only two days rest in-between and that would have been difficult for our players last season and players that have been fit all pre-season but that has not been our situation.
“It is nothing to do with the squad depth, it is how we’ve gone throughout the season in terms of injuries and availability.”
Alexander Isak and Allison Becker will again be missing for the Reds against Villa while Ryan Gravenberch will be assessed ahead of the match having returned to training.