The Dutch manager has announced that the Anfield decision-makers agree with his assessment regarding the team's slump and he has no intention of discarding their attacking style in quest for a turnaround. The tactician conceded that six losses in seven outings was not good enough ahead of the weekend fixture with Villa.
Liverpool's coach recognized the scrutiny was intense before his makeshift team suffered Carabao Cup elimination against their Premier League rivals. However, he insisted that this urgency to stop the losing streak is not coming from the team's proprietors or management structure following a summer transfer outlay of almost £450m.
"Our views align," commented Slot, whose team next week face Real Madrid in the European competition and play against the Citizens in the domestic competition.
Liverpool's manager thinks his team "boast a remarkable roster if they are fully healthy and all ready for the programme we are facing". He said that the recent signings in players such as the attacking midfielder and Alexander Isak, who is likely to miss out again against Aston Villa through physical problems, had left the club "in such a good place for the immediate prospects and the years to come".
When asked why his team were taking so long to gel, he replied: "That's not particularly helpful. 'What's causing this?' I provide reasons and people say I'm making justifications. I can list multiple factors why we are struggling for victories or suffering defeats as we do but, as I always emphasize, there are never enough excuses to have a run of form as we had now."
Only the Lancashire club (21) have faced more big chances from open play this season than the Merseysiders (19). The league leaders, the Gunners, have faced two. Yet Slot denies the defense has been too vulnerable and maintains there is no justification to abandon offensive philosophy for a defensive approach after ten fixtures without a goalless performance.
"I don't see us conceding a lot of chances so I find no basis to change our playing style completely but we need to do better in not conceding goals," he said.
"When facing United, how many chances did we concede? Versus the German side when we were 3-1 up, we barely allowed a effort at our net. In each fixture we have played so far we haven't allowed a many opportunities. Absolutely not. We do allow a bit more than last season but that stems from us being trailing by a goal so you take a bit more risk. But in general I don't feel that our challenge is that we allow too many opportunities. Our challenge is we don't score the chances we create."
