Arne Slot says that her Liverpool team was outdated during the final defeat of the Carabao Cup against Newcastle a fortnight – and they must now put this behind them while they are looking to win the title of the Premier League.
The Reds return to the action tomorrow evening in the Merseyside derby against Everton after more than two weeks of club football leave, a well-deserved rest after an exhausting period which ended with the disappointment with them who also fall from the Champions League in Paris Saint-Germain.
And Slot says they have to remember the difficulties of these matches and use it to their advantage in the last nine games of the League season.
“There was a little noise so that we lost to Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle,” he said. “I always try to be rational and try to judge the situation, in these situations, I don’t think it happened several times.
“When you win eight games in Europe and you only lose one and you came out, I was a little more frustrated. I was a little more frustrated by the final of the Carabao Cup, because for the first time, we deserve to lose the match. We were not difficult to defend, not good with the ball.
“They immediately went to the national teams and all played important matches. For most of them, they have not forgotten because they know what happened and they are like me disappointed not to win the first trophy and to be outside the Champions League.
Arne Slot called Liverpool to rediscover her best form for running for the season
Liverpool was beaten by Newcastle in the Carabao Cup final before the international break
Slot admits that his team was “ out of work ” in Wembley, and insists that this can never happen again
“But they are also realistic. When you play nine games in Europe and have won eight and you’ve bored to go out with penalties. We tried everything to go and I can’t blame any player. For the final, we were also outdated and it is not what I like.
Slot added that the break will have given his team the world of good. He said: “This (international break) I liked the most, I needed the most. But there is no difference between at the time and now.
“If you want to do something in the Premier League, in the League Cup, in the FA Cup, you have to compete with the best world teams, so there is no room to get a equipment, you must always be at the top of your game.
“You must be there in September, in October, in March and definitively in April and May.”
Liverpool will have to “be there”, as Slot says, for the difficult test in Anfield tomorrow evening against Everton by David Moyes, undefeated in nine championship games.
The Reds are 12 points clear with nine games to go and need a maximum of 16 points to win the title – although this can change according to the Arsenal match against Fulham this evening.
Slot will be without Trent Alexander-Arnold who is still recovering from an ankle injury. Ryan Gravenberch and Alisson should be OK after removing their international camps early, while Conor Bradley remains a doubt.