Arne Slot to attempt alternative approach to Champions League this year

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Image Credits: Imago Images

Arne Slot and his players kickstart their Champions League journey tonight as Atletico Madrid visit Anfield.

The Dutchman couldn’t have wished for a better first season in charge of the Reds but one thing he will be kicking himself over is his side’s Champions League showing.

Despite winning seven out of eight games in the Champions League group phase and topping the table, Liverpool were handed a tough match-up against PSG in the round of sixteen, a test proving too hard for the Reds.

PSG were just coming into form and despite finishing 15th in the table and needing a play-off game just to qualify for the next round, they knocked Liverpool out on penalties and went on to eventually win the trophy.

A cruel stroke of luck for the Reds who had had an immaculate campaign up until that point.

It sparked wider criticism for the new format and may result in an alternative approach from Arne Slot this time around.

Arne Slot will look to use his squad more this season, stating last season that his team were “more tired” in March than in November, as he experienced football without a winter break for the very first time.

Giving his players more of a rest via rotating key players throughout the gruelling winter period is something he plans to do more this year.

Although they did win the Premier League, they narrowly missed out on the Carabao Cup to Newcastle United and were knocked out of the Champions League by the re-energised PSG, who had the benefit of a winter break.

Slot has described that Champions League exit as the “most disappointing” moment of last season and he is fired up to make it right this year.

The Dutchman did consistently rely on a core group of players throughout the Champions League league phase, using only 22 players in the first seven games, with 11 of those playing more than 50% of the combined minutes and six featured in every game.

From the recruitment to what he has said about what he has learnt from last season all point towards utilising his full squad this season.

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