Slot on the season: Title, Trent, transfers - and no excuses

Liverpool caput coach Arne Slot says excuses are "for teams that don't triumph nan league", and it is "nice" his broadside won nan Premier League truthful he does not person to trust connected them.

Reflecting connected starring nan nine to a 20th top-flight title successful his first twelvemonth since succeeding Jurgen Klopp, nan Dutchman told BBC Sport of his pridefulness it had been achieved contempt immoderate challenges.

"All these excuses you could springiness to Liverpool... pinch america possibly not spending... aliases not bringing caller players in, aliases taking complete from someone," he said.

"All these things are excuses for teams that don't triumph nan league, and it's bully that if you person each these excuses, that you don't person to usage them, but you still conscionable won it."

Liverpool secured nan title without immoderate superior strengthening of nan squad Slot inherited, which he said made it "probably moreover much special".

And he drew comparisons pinch his clip astatine Feyenoord, wherever he won nan Eredivisie successful 2023 contempt an overhaul of his team.

"I did it now successful 2 different leagues and successful 2 different ways," he said.

Earlier this week, Arsenal head Mikel Arteta lamented really "red cards and injuries", external had impacted connected their title bid.

Injuries to cardinal players person likewise been cited successful nan deficiency of a sustained situation from defending champions Manchester City - not slightest by head Pep Guardiola.

In a wide-ranging question and reply conducted astatine nan club's training crushed earlier Liverpool's last lucifer of nan play against Crystal Palace connected Sunday, Slot besides said of:

Liverpool clinched their 2nd title successful 5 years pinch a period of nan play to spare, and spell into nan last play pinch a 12-point lead complete nearest challengers Arsenal.

Arteta has highlighted nan truth Liverpool had secured 82 points erstwhile they won nan title, while Arsenal managed 89 and 84 points successful each of nan past 2 years but vanished runners-up.

Asked astir nan Spaniard's comments, Slot said: "Everybody has nan correct to person his ain opinion... what he meant was: 'Sometimes you person to beryllium successful nan correct spot astatine nan correct time.'

"I wholly work together pinch him connected that. Only not successful a Premier League season. So successful a Champions League, FA Cup, World Cups, past it is astir 'in nan correct clip successful nan correct place'.

"In a play that's truthful long, past usually nan champion squad wins nan league."

Reflecting connected nan season, Slot said he would for illustration to triumph nan Premier League than nan Champions League because it is "even much difficult".

He said: "You tin scope a last pinch bully luck, and you tin ne'er triumph a convention pinch only having a batch of luck.

"Maybe we were a spot fortunate that City had - for nan first clip successful 5 years - a difficult period. But we were besides portion of that difficult period, because we hit them astatine location [when] they had already mislaid a few... and we didn't person one, and that's what you request erstwhile you want to triumph a convention for illustration this.

"You cannot person a longer play of games wherever you driblet points."

On reaching a last pinch "luck", Slot felt his broadside did not get immoderate erstwhile they were knocked retired of nan Champions League by Paris St-Germain.

The French champions person since gone connected to hit Aston Villa and Arsenal en way to nan final, wherever they will look Inter Milan connected 31 May.

Liverpool topped nan convention shape of nan new-look competition, winning 7 of their 8 games, including triumph complete Real Madrid.

"We were very unlucky that we had to play PSG successful March, because successful this state we don't person a wintertime break," Slot said.

"So we had to play from November to March pinch each these Real Madrid games and City games... each these reliable games successful between.

"And past astatine nan extremity of that play we had to play 1 squad that tin play conscionable arsenic aggravated arsenic we can, only they had a wintertime break and we were successful nan extremity of a four-month period.

"So I deliberation if we could person played them successful April, that would person been better.

"And we were truthful unlucky because we were number 1 successful nan convention array - we could person had Benfica - for illustration Barca had - and afterwards Benfica and Dortmund, but we sewage PSG."

When asked really he had group astir building connected nan activity done by Klopp aft Liverpool ended nan 2023-24 Premier League play 9 points down Manchester City successful third, Slot said: "Of people it helps, if you outperform astatine a nine for illustration Feyenoord.

"[I got] a batch of confidence, that they didn't only bring maine successful to triumph nan convention - it was besides my playing style and Jurgen near this club, this team, successful a awesome place."

Klopp won 8 trophies successful his clip connected Merseyside, including nan Premier League title successful 2020 and a Champions League triumph nan erstwhile year.

"The civilization of this squad and nan measurement group activity present together has been a joyousness to measurement into," Slot said.

"I didn't person to first get nan subject going - these guys were truthful disciplined and moving truthful hard, and I saw already that location was a batch of value complete here.

"The measurement they hole themselves, nan measurement they are fresh for each game, each 3 days, gives you nan assurance that we are capable to triumph against immoderate team.

"What we needed to do was do a fewer things better."

Slot said erstwhile he arrived astatine Anfield his purpose had been to suffice for nan Champions League.

"And for illustration you spot now, that's not an easy task successful this country, because truthful galore very bully teams are competing for that," he said.

"But nan infinitesimal I started moving pinch nan players... and that was only 2 weeks earlier nan commencement of nan season, I felt like, 'oh, this is decidedly quality'."

Winning nan title, he said, was "an accomplishment that we hoped for".

"We worked really hard, but to opportunity we expected it, I expected it, would beryllium a spot excessively much," he added.

Nevertheless, nan play will extremity pinch Monday's autobus parade to people Liverpool's record-equalling 20th title.

"I deliberation these moments will beryllium 1 of nan astir typical moments successful your life, professional-wise, possibly nan astir typical moment," Slot said.

Celebrating Feyenoord's title occurrence pinch 100,000 group had been "very special", he said, but "to do it pinch a aggregate of that will astir apt beryllium a once-in-a-lifetime experience".

"Although, we are readying to triumph a fewer things much astatine this club, truthful let's dream it's not going to beryllium nan past time," he added.

England defender Alexander-Arnold will extremity a 20-year relation pinch Liverpool aft Sunday's match.

The 26-year-old Liverpudlian opted to not renew his contract and is expected to subordinate Real Madrid, who are group to switch head Carlo Ancelotti pinch Bayer Leverkusen leader Xabi Alonso anterior to nan commencement of adjacent month's Club World Cup.

Alexander-Arnold has won nan Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, Super Cup and Club World Cup pinch Liverpool, and for immoderate fans his departure has bitten difficult - his appearances since announcing he would time off person been against a backdrop of immoderate booing.

Speaking astatine his pre-match news convention connected Friday, Slot revealed he had to speak to Alexander-Arnold successful his agency during pre-season because he was not happy pinch nan right-back's activity rate.

"It is already a first gift I tin springiness Xabi Alonso but I wasn't wholly happy pinch each azygous infinitesimal really he was connected nan training ground," said Slot. "In my opinion, successful definite moments he could do a spot more, to opportunity it mildly.

"That is what we talked about, mixed pinch that I said to him, 'You are a overmuch amended defender than everybody tells you, unluckily you don't show it each nan time' and that is why group sometimes show you it is simply a portion of your crippled you request to improve."

When asked by BBC Sport what reception he hopes Alexander-Arnold receives erstwhile he is presented pinch his title winner's badge connected Sunday, Slot said: "I dream nan aforesaid for each different subordinate that contributed to america winning nan league, that they will get nan reception each subordinate deserves.

"All person worked truthful hard, not only this season, but passim their careers to execute thing for illustration this. They did this for themselves, but partially besides driven by our fans.

"It would beryllium fantastic, if it's only going to beryllium a affirmative infinitesimal for everyone astatine nan club, and Trent is portion of that.

"I dream I tin power them, but they person their ain sentiment arsenic well."

When nan contracts of Egypt winger Salah and Netherlands defender Van Dijk were besides group to expire astatine nan extremity of nan season, location was overmuch speculation nan nine could beryllium losing 3 cardinal players astatine once.

However, new deals for Salah and Van Dijk were announced past month, overmuch to fans' relief.

When asked really progressive he had sewage successful nan negotiations pinch Salah and Van Dijk, Slot said: "80% was done by nan club, separate, but they kept maine updated.

"But I for illustration nan thought that each those statement things are not done by me, but by personification else, because successful this convention you request each of your clip to hole your squad for nan upcoming game. It hasn't been difficult for me, because it hasn't been difficult for nan players.

"If it had been difficult for nan players, past I would person spent a batch of clip talking to them and getting them fresh for nan adjacent game.

"But I deliberation possibly because we thought we were trying to compete until nan extremity of nan Champions League, and for nan Premier League, that helped besides nan players to conscionable enactment focused on: 'We tin do thing typical complete here.'

"And I deliberation nan astir typical infinitesimal for Mo and for Virgil is not their statement hold this year, but it was and is america winning nan league. And this is what you unrecorded for, it's not nan statement - they already person capable money, astatine slightest that's what I think!"

Salah has admitted uncovering Slot initially "quite tough" and precocious said of nan brace having "honest conversations", external during pre-season aft a lacklustre warm-up successful a training session, astir doing much and mounting a bully illustration to younger players.

Does saying that to a subordinate of that position travel pinch risk?

"I'm not truthful stupid that I conscionable opportunity this retired of nan blue, bam," said Slot. "And I deliberation I'm smart enough, and I deliberation nan main point you person to do arsenic a manager, if you want to bring your connection across... you person to do this successful nan correct way.

"So it wasn't only that - astir apt I gave him 15 compliments during that conversation, and past I showed him really he did nan warm-up."

Slot acknowledged that astatine that constituent of pre-season, Salah was mostly training pinch academy players, and added: "I could moreover understand him thinking, 'is each of this necessary?'

"The measurement your connection comes across, that is thing wherever I deliberation we arsenic managers tin make a difference, not truthful overmuch possibly successful our strategies because everybody has awesome tactics, but really you bring your strategies crossed - do nan players judge successful it?

"That is thing I deliberation wherever a head tin make nan difference."

Both Arsenal and Manchester City will beryllium expected to beryllium among Liverpool's rivals for adjacent season's title - pinch some clubs besides expected to walk large successful nan summer.

After small transportation outlay successful nan past year, Slot was asked if he needed to do likewise - and, if so, connected which positions.

Like Guardiola, he is concerned astatine nan effect of having excessively large a squad.

Slot said: "I deliberation different mobility is: 'Does a subordinate that doesn't play that overmuch want to enactment astatine a nine wherever he's not playing that much?'

"I ever opportunity that to beryllium connected nan chair for 1 play is already difficult - to not play a batch 2 seasons successful a statement is almost impossible, truthful it's not only what I want, it's besides what nan subordinate wants."

He knows Liverpool will person to bargain caller players to compete - though accepts it whitethorn not beryllium imaginable to bring successful nan targets he wants.

"City will astir apt fortify nan squad again. If nan rumours are correct, Arsenal is readying nan same, truthful it would beryllium stupid if we are not looking astatine trying to fortify nan squad arsenic well," he said.

"Again, I've said it galore times, it's not that easy because this squad has already won nan league. So to find players that tin fortify america - that mightiness not beryllium that difficult - because location are definite players successful nan world wherever I think, 'if they would come, it would beryllium nice'.

"But they're besides playing astatine clubs wherever they don't want to leave. So location are not galore that tin fortify us, but nan fewer that are retired there, we will effort to get them.

"At this infinitesimal of clip we're not judge if that's possible."