After the 3-2 loss to Brentford, Arn Slott admitted that Liverpool have yet to find an answer against teams that rely on long balls and low blocks.
Slott spoke openly about what his opponents did directly in the build-up to the game by sitting deep in a match at the G-Tech Community Stadium that ended the Reds’ fourth straight defeat in the Premier League and they were punished in the same way on Saturday night.
Dango Ouattara’s first goal came from a long throw from Michael Kayode in the first half, and Slott admitted Liverpool were a threat they had prepared for in detail in Friday’s training session, with Brentford also making 62 long passes on the night, the most this season.
Arne Slot reacts dejectedly on the sideline of Gtech Community Stadium (AP Photo/Dave Shopland)
Asked in his post-match press conference what was the cause of Liverpool’s current struggles, Slott replied: “There are quite a few things.”
“There’s no doubt that the team has a certain style of play against us and it’s a very good strategy. We haven’t found the answer yet.
“Even if you lose 1-0, after five minutes it doesn’t matter. Even if we didn’t play well today, we can still score two goals.
“But we can’t compete because we concede too many goals. We’re not doing that at the moment. It’s not just defense that has 11 players doing it together.”
Slott also admitted that Liverpool’s performance in the summer transfer window, in which they spent more than £400 million on six new players, had contributed to the club’s slow start to the season, which currently sits in sixth place.
He added, “It has something to do with the big changes that will occur in the summer.I never expected a four-game losing streak.”
Dango Ouattara celebrates Brentford’s lead
Slot: Prepared for long throw-in
Slott said Liverpool’s entire training session on Friday was focused on preparing for Brentford’s long throw-in, but their hard work was quickly undone when Brentford took the lead after just five minutes with a long throw from Kayode.
When asked if he had spent the week preparing for just such a situation, Slott said, “Yes, all we did on the practice field yesterday was prepare for that and prepare for today’s meeting.”
The Liverpool manager also admitted he was wary of the opposition’s threat on the counter-attack. That’s how Kevin Shade raced in front of goal and slotted home past Giorgi Mamadashvili to double the lead just before half-time.
Kevin Shade follows on from Ibrahima Konate to score Brentford’s second goal.
“Brentford are also known for their very good set-pieces, so that’s not the only thing we prepared for,” he continued.
“They are also known for their great counter-attacks and that was their second goal. I don’t think that should be taken as an excuse in any way at this point.”
