Champions League: Arne Slot praises Mohamed Salah's return on a pivotal night for both
Arne Slot has fond memories in Marseille. It was there in 2022 that his Feyenoord side secured a place in the Europa Conference League final. On the eve of this week's match, he reflected on those memories, while also addressing Xabi Alonso's rumored links to the Liverpool job in a bizarre and impolite manner.
Any speculation surrounding Liverpool's manager's future was silenced by a characteristic European away performance from his team, who added Marseille to their list of victories against Eintracht Frankfurt and Inter Milan this season. Their 13-match unbeaten streak (7 wins, 6 draws) across all competitions is the longest among teams from Europe's top five leagues. This achievement alone deserves recognition.
Crucially, Mohamed Salah's return to the starting lineup marked a turning point for Liverpool. Since November 4th, when they defeated Real Madrid in the Champions League, Salah had been absent. His recent interview at Leeds seemed to draw a line under this period, allowing both the player and the manager to move forward for the team's benefit.
Slot acknowledged the importance of Salah's presence, stating, 'When I didn't play him, I was experimenting with different tactics. We've been lacking in goal-scoring opportunities despite our ball possession. Salah is undoubtedly one of the best goal-scorers in Liverpool's history.'
Despite not adding to his club record of 46 Champions League goals for Liverpool, Salah's performance was impressive. He came close to scoring in the second half but missed the target. However, Liverpool's 4-2-2-2 setup provided a sense of assurance, which Slot found encouraging and may influence his future tactics.
Slot praised Salah's professionalism, noting, 'It's remarkable how he can be away for over a month with another team and still be fit to play a full 90 minutes for us after just one day of training. He was incredibly close to scoring, and it's usually him who would have found the back of the net. Thankfully, we scored three goals.'
The team's strategy involved Florian Wirtz and Dominik Szoboszlai supporting Hugo Ekitike and Salah, while Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez provided width on the flanks.
Frimpong and Kerkez, both summer signings, excelled in their roles, allowing Salah to focus on his attacking duties. Despite this, Salah demonstrated his commitment to defensive responsibilities when the team was out of possession.
Steven Warnock commented on Salah's performance, stating, 'Salah seamlessly adapted to Liverpool's formation. To maximize his potential, consistency and continuity are key. I believe Slot will utilize him in a similar manner again, reducing his defensive duties and allowing him to remain fresher and more dangerous.'
The challenge for Slot and Liverpool remains their struggle against low blocks. Despite this, Slot remains focused on improving their performance in such situations.
Former captain Steven Gerrard offered his perspective, saying, 'I'm delighted for Slot. Dealing with that pressure must be challenging. His tactics were exceptional tonight, and he deserves praise and credit. He should stop mentioning low blocks; they've been a fixture in Liverpool's games since my playing days.'
Slot explained, 'I understand why we lack consistency, especially when facing open games versus low blocks. Tonight's match was different, with both teams pressing and playing from the back. Our inconsistencies stem from our struggles against low blocks.'
While Bournemouth may not employ a low block on Saturday, Andoni Iraola might draw inspiration from Liverpool's recent challenges and consider adopting a similar strategy.
