The 2025/26 UEFA Champions League will enter its eighth round, with Liverpool hosting Qarabag at Anfield. Sloot stated that silencing criticism when the team's performance is poor is not easy, but he has a clear direction on where the team needs to improve.

Liverpool secured a 3-0 victory over Marseille in the seventh round of the Champions League, thanks to goals from Szoboszlai and Gakopo. Liverpool currently sit fourth in the standings with 15 points, meaning they must win this match to advance to the round of 16.

However, in an earlier Premier League match, Liverpool suffered a 2-3 defeat away to Bournemouth. After four draws and one loss in their last five games, Liverpool have dropped to sixth place in the Premier League standings with 36 points.

Liverpool manager Sloot said at a press conference, "Given our current league position, it's very difficult to quiet down the noise. Even if we win a few games, the doubts will resurface after just one loss or disappointing result. This is to be expected if we experience so many losses at some point in the season. For a club like Liverpool, it's impossible to completely eliminate the noise if you can't compete for the league title. As for what we need to improve, it's actually very simple for me."

“I would have preferred to start Ekittick against Bournemouth, and he would definitely have started if we had a day or two more, because I really liked his performance against Marseille. But he was out for two weeks with an injury and then had to play a lot of games in a row. And we only have one number 9 available for the next few months, so managing his load properly is essential for me, and the same applies to the other players.”

Szoboszlai is considered best suited to play in midfield.

Sloot emphasized, "Our results haven't met the team's expectations, and we're receiving the criticism we deserve. Usually, being subjected to so much criticism over a long period of time will have a psychological impact on the players. If they have to participate in high-intensity matches for a long time under such conditions, it often leads to injuries. I can give many examples, which is why I have great respect for my players. In the current situation, apart from 3 to 4 long-term injured players, they are almost always available to play."

"What makes the game difficult is always the individual players. In terms of playing style, Qarabag plays very directly, fast, and frequently attacks behind the opponent's defense. The players are also very comfortable in terms of ball control. They have proven themselves against strong teams in the Champions League, after all, the Champions League is full of strong teams. They are an excellent and very difficult team to beat. Even against Chelsea, they were able to keep the score at 2-2."

Furthermore, when discussing Szoboszlai's playing position, Slot said, "I would consider him in almost any position. Frimpong can play as a full-back or a winger. But on the right wing, I also have Salah. So I have two options on the right wing, and on the right wing, if it's just Frimpong, then I only have one option."

“If you include Szoboszlai or Jones, suddenly I have three right-back options. However, we agree on one thing: his best position is still midfield. Szoboszlai and I agree on this.”

Image source: Internet