Liverpool fans may disagree with what Luis Enrique said about Arne Slot after beating him again - opinion
Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Rousing the Kop or go back to LFC Live.
Luis Enrique was quick to praise Arne Slot after beating Liverpool with Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday evening.Predictably, the Reds failed to really turn up in Paris, falling to a 2-0 defeat in a game which they could easily have lost by more.Slot chose to use the match to trial a new 3-5-2 formation, and when asked if he’d been surprised by Liverpool‘s approach, Enrique hailed the Reds’ boss for his offensive-minded football. 2-0 down vs PSG, it's going to be some ask from here… Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP via Getty Images Enrique says facing Slot is ‘always a pleasure’Enrique is clearly a fan of Slot’s, something which came through when asked about Liverpool’s set-up during his post-match interview with TNT Sports.“I know Arne Slot is a great coach, it’s the first time that they played with five at the back, but we are used to watching other teams changing formations all the time to play against us, it’s normal,” said the PSG manager.“I think they played a great match, it was difficult physically, they are very strong, a lot of quality players.
“It’s always a pleasure to play against Arne Slot and his teams because they try to play football in an offensive way and it was nice to watch.”Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty ImagesREAD MORE: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia makes claim about Anfield straight after scoring against LiverpoolWe’re not sure if Enrique has watched much of Liverpool lately, but there won’t be a Reds fan out there who would agree with anything he said on Slot right now.Perhaps it is always a pleasure for Enrique because his team tend to end up absolutely dominating these occasions.Slot must rediscover who he is as a coachEver since his arrival at Liverpool, it has been obvious that Slot has wanted to paint himself as a coach who prefers attacking, fluid football.However, while we did see some of that with the Reds last season, it has been ebbing away for a full 12 months now. Rate Arne Slot’s second season as Liverpool head coach Can anyone make a serious argument for higher than a C? 😶 Photo Credit: Getty Images/Carl Recine Liverpool fans would absolutely not recognise the Dutchman as an ‘offensive’ manager, not in terms of style of play, anyway.
Offensive in other ways, though, perhaps.It is interesting that Enrique still appears to view Slot in this way, although praise falling so far of reality does make it seem like he’s offering his younger colleague platitudes.The turgid attacking performance served up in Paris is the absolute antithesis of what Liverpool supporters want their club to be about.Slot knows that, and his current demeanour reeks of someone under debilitating pressure. Nevertheless, whether it is at Liverpool or elsewhere, it is important that the 47-year-old rediscovers his blueprint as a coach, or he won’t be garnering this kind of praise from his peers for much longer.