Arne Slot was ready for Liverpool transfer question

It has been a long two and a half weeks for Liverpool between matches, with the Reds being left to stew on their premature Champions League exit and League Cup final loss. But it was business as usual for Arne Slot at the AXA Training Centre on Tuesday morning, like he had never been away, ahead of his side’s return to action.

During the international break and FA Cup quarter-final weekend, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s future has been the main talking point for those of a Liverpool persuasion.

Reports last week claimed Real Madrid were closing in on the Bosman signing of the Reds vice-captain, though neither club is commenting on the ongoing saga.

Tuesday’s pre-match press conference acted as the first time Slot would be quizzed on the future of the right-back since the latest reports emerged. Inevitably, ‘the Trent question’ was already on the lips of the gathered press ahead of the Dutchman’s arrival.

But as has been the case throughout the season, whenever he has addressed the futures of the out-of-contract Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, Slot batted such questioning away with ease as he gave next to nothing away.

That included two attempts from Sky Sports’ Vinny O’Connor. Instead, the Dutchman’s focus remained very much on the Merseyside derby, as he also insisted that it was the same for both Salah and Van Dijk.

And the only reason why that would be different for Alexander-Arnold is because of his continued recovery from an ankle injury as opposed to where he might be plying his trade next season.

Unsurprisingly, we will not be getting the elusive answers from Slot regarding whether the England international will soon be Madrid-bound.

But during his second answer, he quickly brought matters back to proceedings on the pitch, reflecting on Liverpool’s losses to Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United as though they had been three days ago rather than coming up to three weeks.

“I think there was a bit of noise about us losing against Paris Saint-Germain and losing against Newcastle as well,” he continued after initially dismissing that he was affected by such transfer talk. “But I always try to be rational and try to judge the situation.

“I don’t think it happens many times from the nine serious games a team plays in Europe – because I don't take the PSV game seriously as we were already qualified - when you win eight and you only lose one and you are out before the last eight.

“I was a bit more frustrated about the final because I think we deserved to lose that one. That is for the first time we deserved to lose a football game; we were not tough in terms of defending, we were not good with the ball so there were not many things to like about the final.”

Yet his side’s performance against Newcastle was not the only thing still irking Slot, as throughout his press conference he also brought up his displeasure with his side’s FA Cup exit to Plymouth Argyle and the eight minutes of stoppage-time at the end of the last Merseyside derby against Everton at Goodison Park back in February.

“For most of them, they didn’t forget because they know what happened and they are, like me, disappointed for us at not winning our first trophy and being out of the Champions League.

“But we are also realistic. If you play nine games in Europe, you win eight and you were unlucky going out on penalties.

“We have tried everything in that game to go through to the next round. I can’t blame any player at all for that game.

“For the final, we were also outworked and that’s now what I like. But it wasn’t all negative. We’ve played a final so we’ve managed to get to a final against a very good Newcastle team.

“And we had one great game, we defended really well against Paris Saint-Germain. In my opinion, it was the best game in the Champions League so far. And we got beaten by a very, very, very good team. But wow, what a game we played as well.

“You can always look at the result, which was not what we wanted in those two games. But I was proud of our performance against Paris Saint-Germain. It was maybe the best we have played this season.”

He continued: “Of course you reflect, you reflect on the first eight or nine months, you reflect on the last part before we had the break. That we lost against one of the best teams in Europe with Paris St-Germain was far from ideal.

“But if I have to go out of a tournament, I prefer to go out against Paris St-Germain and I prefer to lose to Newcastle, who are also a great team, but I think it is an embarrassment to and close to a disaster if you lose to Plymouth Argyle.

“I do respect them a lot but they are not of Paris St-Germain or Newcastle quality. If you have to leave a tournament then do it by being beaten by two very good teams.”

And referencing his red card at the end of the last Merseyside derby, he said: “I am hoping I will act differently next time but I can’t promise. But what I am also sure about is that, I will be so, so, so surprised if I ever experience eight minutes of so many controversial decisions in our disadvantage again.”

It has been a long two and a half weeks for Liverpool and for Slot between matches. In a season of few disappointments, the Dutchman has seemingly been reliving them all during his international break.

But now the Reds have the opportunity to belatedly get such disappointment out of their system, with Slot ‘desperate’ for his side to play again ahead of hosting Everton.

“I definitely am (desperate to play again) because it has been 15 or 16 days, or even longer, since I last managed a game,” Slot admitted.

As the Premier League title run-in gets underway, Slot and his side have endured enough time stewing on past disappointments. With Liverpool 12 points clear at the top of the table with nine games left to play, the Reds will be determined to ensure they are left with a very different feeling come May.

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