Arne Slot ‘100 per cent convinced’ Liverpool will have different look next term
By Carl Markham, Press Association
Head coach Arne Slot is “100 per cent convinced” Liverpool will be a different team next season after a 1-1 draw at home to Chelsea was greeted with boos.
The Dutchman became the personal target for the crowd when his substitution of 17-year-old winger Rio Ngumoha for the fit-again British record signing Alexander Isak in the 67th minute received the loudest jeers of the afternoon.
Slot revealed afterwards the teenager was suffering from cramp but said he knew before the board went up what the reaction would be.
Another disappointing performance, having taken a sixth-minute lead through Ryan Gravenberch, left Slot facing more criticism from supporters but he retains the backing of the Anfield hierarchy and pledged to win back fans next season.
“Yeah, I do. Not this season, by the way,” said the Dutchman when asked whether he could turn the crowd around.
“This season they will have their opinion and it will not change but if we can have the summer that we are planning to have I am 100 per cent convinced we will be a different team next season than we are now.
“Different in terms of results, different in how things look.
“It is really clear what we are lacking this season and we are trying. One of the things we are lacking is players that are fit.
“The players we have available now, like last week (in defeat at Manchester United), showed in the second half they want to give everything and try to push but it was not enough last week or this week to find that goal which we maybe deserved.
“We’ve also seen a lot of times this season that being the dominant team does not lead to chance after chance after chance.”
On Ngumoha, Slot added: “Not injured, he had cramps before then and he went to the floor and I had contact with him. That’s why I took him off.
“People don’t expect you to take that player off, it wasn’t my intention to do. He is a good player but I don’t think he is at a level yet to play at 50 or 60 per cent to make the difference.
“Maybe the fans have a different opinion but not being fit enough to sprint (was the reason).
“I knew the moment his number went up that would be the reaction but that is not the reason.”
Chelsea’s caretaker coach Calum McFarlane felt his side should have got more out of the game after Enzo Fernandez’s free-kick equaliser 10 minutes before half-time.
“Probably being a bit biased but we could have won the game,” he said. “We had some good moments. We could have come away with three points.”
On the positive side, Levi Colwill made his first start of the season after a knee injury and McFarlane said he was “definitely” in contention to start next weekend’s FA Cup final against Manchester City.
“I thought he was exceptional. Really pleased for Levi, it shows his talent and quality and his mentality,” he added.
Having avoided a club record-equalling seventh successive defeat, the interim Chelsea boss added: “This club needs to win games of football and we haven’t done that. We are not happy with the form.
“It is nice to have a complete performance. It would have been better with the win.”