Arne Slot couldn’t resist a bit of an “I told you so” moment after watching his heavily rotated Liverpool side crush West Ham 5-1 in the Carabao Cup at Anfield.
For months, he’s been fielding endless questions about new signings. And last night gave him the perfect chance to remind everyone that, his current squad might just be… pretty good.
Nine changes from the usual starting XI? No problem. Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo grabbed two goals each, while Mohamed Salah joined them with his customary strike.
West Ham may have opened the scoring, courtesy of a Jarell Quansah own goal. But that lead lasted about as long as a balloon in a cactus patch.
Here is everything the boss said during his post-match press conference:
If you are questioning depth of Liverpool squad, Slot has an answer for you…
“You already start to laugh because you’re thinking for two months I only ask about new players! I constantly told you guys how many quality players we already had. I think you all knew and that’s also what we showed in the last weeks and today again that we have many quality players.
What pleased me most was that even if a lot of new players come in they don’t come in and try to have a good individual performance. They try to work really hard for the team. There was a lot of desire not to concede and as a result of that we had some good individual performances as well.”
Jota and Gakpo are nailing it…
“I think Diogo deserved it because he played a lot of good games for us already. If I’m correct he was only on the scoresheet in the first game against Ipswich. He’s been important for us in every single game he played but a striker also wants to score goals.
I’m pleased for him that he scored two today although he played in a No.10 position. He scored two really good goals and Cody I think it was 10, 15 or 20 minutes before the end where he cleared the ball in his own 18-yard box and that is also what he brings to our game apart from scoring two.
If I see him in training and the way he hits the ball in and around the 18-yard box it is with incredible speed. So, I’m not surprised to see him scoring like this.
Someone just told me he scored a similar one last season in this cup tie against West Ham. So, I’m not surprised to see him score; not in the way he did, but it’s not only about them scoring, it’s also about them defending in their own 18-yard box.”
Now Slot must face Brighton in the next round…
“It’s again a difficult draw. I think almost all the teams that are still in are strong teams and you know if you want to win a trophy or win this cup then you will play against difficult opponents – which was West Ham tonight as well.
I would’ve preferred to play at home because in our schedule it’s already so tight and so many games that you would prefer not to travel. If I’m correct Brighton is not next door – it’s quite a far away game, but it’s a quality team to face again.”
Was new Liverpool signing able to impress Slot?
“It was pleasing to see that he could already play 60 minutes because I think I said in the last press conference he hasn’t played a lot, maybe hasn’t played hardly any minutes in the last three or four months.
So, for him it is important that apart from getting more match fitness, he has to have playing minutes – and that’s what he got today. He assisted, although it was a shot on target that provided Diogo for a goal, worked really hard and I think it is normal he is not already in the top of his ability.
He has to get used to the club, he has to get used to his teammates, he has to adjust to the playing style. It was very good to see how match fit he already is so we can use him if we need him.”
What Slot said on fitness concern for Liverpool forward?
“Rotate. I think we are trying to manage his minutes like the others in the best possible way, but we also try to prepare them during the week and during the first months of pre-season to prepare them for so many games in the Premier League.
Sometimes there are small margins, sometimes you can be unlucky as well. If you saw what happened with Rodri, that is so, so unlucky for him. It’s trying to prepare them in the best possible way, but in the end you need a bit of luck as well.
What the players can do is be as professional as possible, live in the best possible way for their career and I think that’s what they’ve done until now and what they are doing at the moment – and we, as a staff, try to prepare them in the best possible way to go without injuries through this period.”
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