BREAKING NEWS: Coming live from Anfield, Liverpool boss Arne Slot isn’t satisfied with his side’s performance in their 1-0 UEFA Champions League win at Girona yesterday. He Said, “If you ask me about yesterday’s game, I’ll be honest—I’m far from pleased. The performance, especially from a few players, was unacceptable. They ignored my instructions completely. When you’re up against a team that plays beautiful football, you have to take it seriously. One player in particular was a disaster—misplaced passes, poor body language, a total mess on the pitch. It was beyond frustrating. This kind of attitude has no place in my team. Arne Slot doesn’t hold back his anger.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot expressed dissatisfaction with his team’s performance despite their 1-0 victory over Girona in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday (December 10). Mohamed Salah’s second-half penalty secured the win, maintaining Liverpool’s perfect record in the competition and putting them on the brink of the quarterfinals.
While the Reds remain the only team with a 100% record in the Champions League this season, Slot criticized his team’s lack of intensity. Speaking to the Mirror, he said:
“If you ask me about all six games, I’m really pleased with the results. I’m very happy with the first five games, but far from satisfied with today’s performance. What wasn’t I pleased about? A lot, especially two things.”
Slot elaborated on the issues he observed:
“When you play a team like Girona, who have a strong understanding of football and are skilled at building from the back, you need to be incredibly intense to disrupt their rhythm. If you hesitate for even a few seconds to press them, they can cause serious problems.”
He continued:
“Their performances this season, aside from against PSV, have shown their quality. Honestly, I almost feel sorry for them because they deserved more from this competition. We had very little control over the game, maybe slightly more in the second half—but even then, it wasn’t great. I’m trying to find positives here.”
Liverpool will shift their focus back to the Premier League this Saturday (December 14) when they host Fulham. The Reds sit atop the league table after 14 games and will look to maintain their strong domestic form.
Girona Manager Proud Despite Loss to Liverpool
Girona manager Michel expressed pride in his team’s performance despite their defeat to Liverpool. The La Liga side, currently ninth in their domestic league, have struggled in their debut Champions League campaign, managing just one win in six games. However, Michel commended his players for standing toe-to-toe with their elite opponents.
Speaking to UEFA.com, he said:
“We competed really well and achieved our objective of filling key spaces. We tried to ensure Liverpool’s central defenders didn’t have a reference point to mark, which allowed us to create opportunities for players like Danju (Danjuma). We gave a good account of ourselves and went out there to win.”
Girona’s defeat leaves them at the bottom of their group, but they are not entirely out of the running for a knockout-stage spot. However, they face a steep uphill battle to advance further in the competition.