Arne Slot hopes Liverpool’s summer additions can make the difference as the Reds eek to put their below-par start to the season behind them
Arne Slot is convinced Liverpool’s raft of summer signings are now ready to ensure a happier New Year as his side look to strengthen their top-four position. The Reds host Leeds United on Thursday evening aiming to extend their seven-game unbeaten run with a victory that would close the gap on third-placed Aston Villa to four points.
With near rivals Chelsea and Manchester United having both been held to home draws on Tuesday, Liverpool could move as many as five points clear of the chasing pack in the Champions League qualification berths.
It would represent a significant upturn in form following the autumn slump that saw the Reds lose six our of seven Premier League matches to effectively end hopes of defending their title.
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Slot’s side have been bolstered in recent weeks by inspired showings from £116million attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz, who scored his first goal for the club in the 2-1 win over Wolves last Saturday.
Hugo Ekitike, the £79m forward, is Liverpool’s top scorer with 11 goals, while £40m left-back Milos Kerkez has shown improved form of late and £29m right-back Jeremie Frimpong has returned from injury with assists in consecutive games.
And when asked if the new signings are ready to kick on for the second half of the season, Slot said: “Yeah, for sure. That’s not only for the new players.
“If you bring in a lot of new players and a lot of players leave, usually at least if I do my job well, they will play better football the longer they are together when they have more training time and playing time.
“You saw this last season because that team was here the year before with Jurgen (Klopp). In the first half of last season we played very good football. That is helpful.
“History has shown many times the longer players play together the bigger chance you have of winning something, or if you add players to what you have, there is also a serious chance of improving.
“But if you replace players, like we have done, then it takes time. And usually it gets better after a certain period of time.
“Unfortunately Giovanni Leoni we won’t see him this season and Alexander (Isak), it’s going to take a long time before we see him again.”
Wirtz enjoyed a profitable December when forcing an own goal against Sunderland, winning the penalty that earned Champions League victory at Inter and claiming an assist in the win at Tottenham Hotspur.
And Slot believes it shouldn’t be a surprise the Germany international is now starting to find his feet after moving to England.
“I can only answer from my experience being an old man – or at least much older than him,” he said. “The first few months being in a new country – because it was also my first time living abroad – it is different. Your life is a bit upside down.
“That for a manager is not the biggest problem because I do not have to perform on the pitch but I can fully understand some players need time to adapt off the pitch.
“The biggest adaptation coming from abroad to this league is the intensity. Even when we played once a week, you can see Hugo had a cramp after 70 minutes. I did not take Florian out because he was playing bad, it was because he was hardly able to keep running any more.
“That tells you the situation about the new players we bring in – how big a step it is to adjust to these intensity levels.”
