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‘It’s only a friendly, it doesn’t matter’. Try telling that to Arne Slot!
While pre-season is traditionally perceived to predominantly be about building up match fitness, it would appear that the new Liverpool head is just as focused on delivering positive results.
“Unfortunately the result today was not what we wanted, but they stayed fit,” was the message from the Dutchman after the Reds lost a behind-closed-doors encounter Last month
Since then, Liverpool have enjoyed an 100% winning record on their pre-season tour of the United States, recording 1-0, 2-1 and 3-0 victories over Real Betis, Arsenal and Manchester United respectively.
Of course, there is never any such thing as a friendly when you are playing the Red Devils
And with one eye on the season ahead, Slot made sure his side knew the importance of landing an early blow on their bitter-rivals
“The manager has said: ‘It’s pre-season but you need to win games. That’s what you need to do’,” Caoimhin Kelleher revealed
Kelleher continued
“So we’ve been trying to take that on board as well. Obviously play the football, do the stuff that he wants, but also get results as well because that’s the most important thing.
“You need to practise that. It’s been a great camp and positives to take,”
“He did say, it’s been three days since our last game, so he said, ‘It was a good win against Arsenal but we need to follow that up because it’s going to be like that the whole season.”
“Every three days, we’re going to be in games.’ So that was his main message, to back up the performance against Arsenal.”
After all, winning breeds more winning. And while many onlookers might be predicting that Liverpool will take an initial step backwards under their new head coach as they adjust to life after Jurgen Klopp, the early signs suggest he has no intention of accepting any decline in expectations for the season ahead.
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