Former Manchester United star criticises Arne Slot | OneFootball

Slot responds to outside noise as Liverpool rediscover edge

Liverpool stepped back into rhythm with a commanding 2-0 win over Aston Villa, a night under the Anfield lights that carried the sound of belief returning. Yet before kick off, the narrative was tugged away by former Manchester United defender Phil Jones, who questioned whether Liverpool, under Slot, are still vulnerable. The Premier League champions know scrutiny never sleeps and Jones offered his verdict on BBC Radio 5Live, suggesting cracks remain.

“I’m all for managers defending themselves, absolutely. You’ve got to come out fighting and you’ve got to stick up for the lads in the dressing room,” Jones said. “But when you’re talking about teams playing direct, for me, he’s clutching at straws a little bit.

“Teams do it. Teams don’t go to Anfield and open up because they know what they’re up against, so they’d be foolish to do that.

“But I see a vulnerability defensively with Liverpool at the minute. Every time the ball goes in the box, it looks like a panic.”

Villa chose not to test that theory, opting against aerial bombardment, and they paid for their caution. Mohamed Salah danced with purpose again and Ryan Gravenberch powered forward with the kind of confidence Liverpool fans have long hoped to see from him. Their goals sealed the victory and reflected a sharper, hungrier Reds side.

Photo IMAGO

Rediscovered fluency in midfield

Slot has been steadfast in his message throughout this dip. Calm shoulders, clear structure and unwavering belief. His midfield hummed again, with Alexis Mac Allister showing poise and Dominik Szoboszlai offering energy and incision. When Liverpool play with tempo and angles, opponents are pressed into corners, not allowed to breathe.

Slot acknowledged the recent turbulence but stressed the unity inside his squad.

“I think you always feel pressure if you are at Liverpool,” Slot said in his post match press conference. “If you are leading the table with 15 games to go, you feel pressure.

“And if you are in a run of form that we were in, you feel the pressure. I’ve always felt the support of the fans as long as I’m here. Also in the recent results I have never felt that there was never anything less than it was before.

“I think they were there for me but they were not only there for me, they were there for the team tonight as well. I think they were so supportive and that can have a big impact.

“Because we’ve played many away games, so we had poor results, I’m completely aware of that, but we had to play a lot of aways where the fans still help us.

“You cannot compare that to a home game under the lights at Anfield. It’s something what I would take 10 out of 10 times if I have to play a game of football.”

Momentum building again

Liverpool supporters inside Anfield felt the lift. This was not simply a win, it was a reminder of the collective pulse that carried them to the title last season. With Real Madrid and Manchester City looming, there will be no shortage of tactical battles and intensity ahead. As Liverpool.com pointed out, different tests will come and direct approaches will return, but this week offers opponents who favour football on the floor rather than in the clouds.

Focus turns to elite stage

Real Madrid and Manchester City rarely resort to long throws and second balls, so Liverpool enter this stretch with style match ups that may suit Slot’s patterns more naturally. The Premier League champions turned a corner against Villa and now the spotlight grows brighter. Pressure is not a burden here, it is oxygen.