Arne Slot Defends Liverpool’s Style Amid Claims of ‘Boring’ Football

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has strongly rejected suggestions that his side have become dull to watch, insisting his footballing philosophy remains rooted in attack despite recent criticism.

Speaking ahead of Thursday’s Premier League clash away to leaders Arsenal, Slot stressed that any perceived drop in Liverpool’s attacking output is largely the result of limited options in forward areas rather than a deliberate shift in approach. The Reds head to the Emirates sitting 14 points behind the Gunners, though they remain unbeaten in their last eight league matches.

That run, however, has included four draws — home and away against Leeds United, a stalemate with Sunderland at Anfield, and Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Fulham at Craven Cottage — prompting some observers to question the entertainment value of Liverpool’s performances.

Slot’s side endured a difficult spell earlier in the campaign, losing nine of 12 matches across all competitions between late September and November. A particularly damaging sequence saw Liverpool concede 10 goals across defeats to Manchester City, Nottingham Forest and PSV Eindhoven, the latter coming in the Champions League. Since then, Slot has prioritised defensive stability.

Despite this, the Dutchman is adamant that Liverpool have not abandoned their attacking principles — even as they prepare to face Arsenal without Alexander Isak or Mohamed Salah, who scored 52 goals between them last season. Hugo Ekitike also remains a doubt pending a late fitness assessment.

Slot explained that his recent team selections have been dictated by circumstance rather than preference.

“Using extra midfielders is not something I do because I want to,” he said. “It is simply because certain attacking players are unavailable. Throughout my career, I have always played with wingers and replaced wingers with wingers.

“My default system has always been a 4-3-3 with genuine wide players. I have only adapted that on a handful of occasions, usually when I felt the opposition had more quality and we needed extra solidity.”

The Liverpool boss insisted his reputation has been built on offensive football and rejected the idea that he has turned cautious.

“If I am known for anything, it is attacking football — using a lot of attackers and bringing more on when we are chasing a game,” Slot added. “That is why I struggle to accept the idea that we play boring football or that I am avoiding attacking players.”

Slot acknowledged that tightening up defensively was necessary following Liverpool’s poor run of results but rejected claims that this amounted to a change in identity.

“We needed to stabilise things, but that does not mean we became defensive,” he said. “We still press as high as possible all over the pitch, and when we have the ball, we aim to create chances.

“It is clear we are not creating enough chances given how much possession we have — everyone can see that — but we have not switched to five at the back or sat in our own box.”

He added that Liverpool’s pressing game remains aggressive, but opponents have increasingly adapted their tactics.

“We cannot have this level of possession if we are not pressing high,” Slot said. “What has changed is how teams play against us. Many now go long and sit deep because it works. We struggle to break that down.

“If I were coaching against us, I would probably do the same.”

Slot pointed to Fulham’s recent tactical approach as an example, noting that they defended with a back five against Liverpool despite sticking to a 4-3-3 against both Arsenal and Manchester City.

“I know why teams do it against us,” Slot said. “But it wouldn’t be smart for me to explain that publicly.”