Arne Slot Issues “Standards” Warning to Liverpool Players as He is Set to Take Charge of First Match at Anfield
Liverpool kicked off Arne Slot’s era with a successful tour of the United States, winning all three of their matches. Despite this promising start, Slot has emphasised that his team needs to elevate their performance levels.
Arne Slot has cautioned his Liverpool team that they need to improve, emphasising that his standards have not yet been met.
Slot, who has taken over from Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool’s manager, is aiming for a strong debut season. The pre-season has been largely positive, with Liverpool defeating Real Betis, Arsenal, and Manchester United during their tour.
They conceded only one goal in these matches, setting a solid foundation for the upcoming season. However, Slot remains critical of certain aspects of his team’s performances and believes there is room for improvement.
The Dutch manager has made it clear that his players must enhance their performance to meet his high standards.
“Of course, people will naturally look towards the results we had in our friendly matches, and it is true that we enjoyed some good wins against some strong opponents, from which we can take a lot of positives for sure,” he said in his notes for Sunday’s clash with Sevilla.
“I saw intensity, I saw sharpness and I saw an understanding of the way we want to play – and, of course, to beat both Arsenal and Manchester United, two of our rivals in the Premier League, will never be a bad thing either.
“But I also have high standards, and while I saw lots of things I liked from the team in the USA, I am aware too that there are many areas in which we can, and must, improve and develop.
“The players know that too – they also have high standards – and I expect to see that improvement in the coming days and weeks, hopefully starting today.”
Liverpool will play Sevilla and Las Palmas this week before beginning their season with a match against Ipswich Town next Saturday. Slot is optimistic about maintaining the Reds’ successful run.
“It has been a busy pre-season, as you can imagine, but I believe it has been an extremely positive one, on and off the field. Our tour of the United States was both successful and enjoyable, with a lot of really good work put in on the training pitch,” Slot added.
“As I have said already, it was hugely important that we were able to keep everyone fit and healthy throughout pre-season, and we were boosted this week by the return of our remaining international players to the AXA Training Centre.
“For sure, having everyone back will help us to continue improving as we head into the new season. Those players will get some minutes under their belt [on Sunday] – this was the main reason we arranged two fixtures for this weekend – which is, of course, hugely important with the league season on the horizon.
“I am, of course, hugely optimistic heading into the new campaign. I said when I arrived at the club that Jürgen left the team in a very good place, and it has been great to be finally able to work with a full squad this week, and to see the quality that we have available.
“Now it is up to us to keep performing like Liverpool did for many years and, hopefully, to bring success to the club. I know that you all want that more than anything, and you can rest assured that myself, my players and my staff will be doing all that we can to deliver for you.
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