Manager’s post-match remark after 5-1 Frankfurt win draws criticism and offers Saturday’s opponents a clear cue
By TRNDR Sport | Manchester | 23 October 2025
Arne Slot’s attempt to explain Liverpool’s rediscovered pressing game in Europe has ignited a domestic debate about how to play against the champions.
Speaking after Wednesday night’s 5–1 dismantling of Eintracht Frankfurt, the Liverpool head coach contrasted the Bundesliga side’s build-up with that of recent opponents, noting his team “could press” because “the ball was on the floor”. The comment, offered in the glow of Liverpool’s most convincing performance of the season, was seized upon by critics who claim Slot has effectively telegraphed a weakness against direct, aerial football.
Former Sky Sports presenter Richard Keys branded the remark “daft”, while supporters on social media fretted that Saturday’s opponents Brentford—already comfortable going early into the channels and loading set pieces—have been handed a tactical prompt.
Context matters. Liverpool arrived in Germany on the back of four straight defeats across competitions—Crystal Palace, Galatasaray, Chelsea and Manchester United—each marked by struggles in second balls and defensive transitions. In Frankfurt, Slot’s side looked refreshed and ruthless: five different scorers, including centre-backs Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté from dead-ball situations, and impactful minutes for Mohamed Salah off the bench after a reshuffle to the front line.
Was Slot’s line indiscreet? In truth, it read as an honest (and faintly barbed) assessment of styles they’ve faced rather than a tactical confession. Yet the perception now lingers: turn Liverpool, contest territory, and ask them to fight for first and second contacts.
That makes Saturday’s trip to the Gtech a tidy litmus test. If Liverpool manage Brentford’s direct phases—goal-kicks, long diagonals, restarts—and still impose their counter-press when the ball is on the deck, the narrative cools quickly. If not, a throwaway post-match sentence may echo through the Premier League’s autumn.
