Liverpool boss Slot: ‘Most of the games I see in the Premier League are not a joy to watch’ | OneFootball

Liverpool boss Arne Slot says he does not enjoy watching most Premier League games, partly because of the increasing importance and focus of set pieces.

And while Slot admits he has to accept the reality, he says his “football heart” does not enjoy it.

“First of all, you have to accept it,” he said.

“I think it’s mainly here in the Premier League. If I watch other leagues, I don’t think there is so much emphasis on set pieces.

“If I watch an Eredivisie game, which I still do, I see goals being disallowed or fouls on goalkeepers being given. I’m like, wow, that’s a big difference. Here you can almost hit a goalkeeper in his face and the referee still says just go on.

“Do I like it? My football heart doesn’t like it. If you ask me to think about football, I think about 10/15 years ago about the Barcelona team. Every Sunday evening you were hoping they would play.

“Now, most of the games I see in the Premier League are not, for me, a joy to watch.

“But it’s always interesting because it’s so competitive and that is what makes this league great, because there’s so much competitiveness, everyone can win against everyone.

“But just as someone who loves to watch football, without being interested in whose winning or losing, just to be enjoyed, I think there’s a big difference now between three or four years ago in the Premier League.

“Not only because of the set pieces but also because teams have become so much stronger. Three or four years ago when the top clubs faced 18, 17, 16, 15, it could have been a four or five goal difference and usually if there’s so much difference between the teams then one team is really good.

“But that’s not the situation anymore. It’s not only about the set pieces, it’s also because so many teams have become very strong. But we’re not going to change it, maybe in five or ten years time things will change again but if you go to Sunday league football, I wouldn’t be surprised if you see teams completely being focused, 16-year-olds, on set pieces.

“That’s the new reality. I have my opinion about it but it doesn’t change.”