Angry Slot finally switches on the hairdryer

Arne Slot had been building towards this eruption and Virgil van Dijk said he was angrier that he's ever been at half-time against Southampton

Sun, 09 Mar, 2025 - 12:00

Ian Whittell, Anfield

Premier League: Liverpool 3 Southampton 1

IF there were any doubts about Arne Slot’s ability to fully integrate himself into the wonderful ways of English football, and Liverpool in particular, then his half-time “pep talk” against Southampton answered them.

Publicly, at least, the likeable Dutchman has negotiated his debut season in the Premier League with impressive results on the field and a civility and even-handedness off it that stood in stark contrast to virtually all his peers and, certainly, his predecessor Jurgen Klopp.

But recent weeks have suggested that, when the situation requires it, the mild-mannered Slot can throw tea-cups with the best of them and, on Saturday, with Liverpool trailing and, despite his best efforts to the contrary, listless against obviously inferior opposition, he erupted at the half-time interval against Southampton, in a manner that drew an instant, and emphatic, response from his players.

“Did you not ask him?” laughed the Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk when quizzed about the content of Slot’s half-time speech.

“I think he wasn’t happy and he had every right to (not be). No-one was really happy with the first half performance but we are all human beings and we had no intention to play the first half like we did. Unfortunately we did, but we turned it around. And that’s part of football.”

Van Dijk was being necessarily diplomatic, with his manager actually stood behind him in the Anfield interview area. But, once his manager was out of ear-shot, the defender could be a little more forthright about Slot’s half-time eruption. Was it the angriest the defender had ever seen him?

“Yes,” said van Dijk. “But if you look at the first half, he had every right to be angry.

“And I think from his point of view as well, it was even more frustrating to see. But we did what we all wanted in the second half and what he wanted as well and now we move on.”

Slot had been building towards this eruption before he finally unleashed his “inner Fergie” on Saturday.

The drawn Merseyside derby at Everton had seen him launch a foul-mouthed torrent at referee Michael Oliver which earned him a red card and a suspension which saw him watch the Southampton game from the Anfield directors’ box.

And last month he publicly criticised a player, for the first time of significance, when he questioned the work rate of striker Darwin Nunez.

Nunez could have been replaced at the interval against Southampton after collecting a stupid yellow card late in the first half, but was kept on and scored the equaliser and won a penalty within minutes of the restart.

Slot’s tactical acumen, his use and timing of substitutions, had caught the eye this season. Now, his powers of motivational speaking can be added to that list.

So, too, can his powers of prediction. The vast majority of his pre-match press conference was spent stressing that the Southampton game was the first of three “cup finals” - Tuesday's Champions League return with PSG follows and Sunday sees him compete for his first English trophy in the Carabao Cup Final with Newcastle United.

When Liverpool trailed to Will Smallbone’s opening goal, Slot’s worst fears were being confirmed, before his team talk led to Nunez and two Mo Salah penalties sealing another three points towards the league title.

During and post-game, it was hard to avoid the conclusion that everyone in the stadium - apart from Slot - had been focusing on the return with PSG and the 1-0 lead Liverpool hold after that extraordinary first leg win.

“I don’t think so. Not at all,” countered van Dijk. “The game before also was quite tough, both physically and mentally.

“No-one wants to play the first half as we did but sometimes, as footballers and (because of) the opponent, you have a first half like we did today. It’s down to us as players to turn it around and I’m glad we did.”

Now, thoughts can actually turn to the PSG return. After somehow surviving the first game, veteran defender Andy Robertson knows his side cannot simply rely on further heroics from goalkeeper Alisson.

“They showed how good they can be, an exceptional team – probably the best we have played this season,” said Robertson. “We have got the lead, which is important, but we can obviously play better than we did on Wednesday, that's clear and we will have to play better as we can't rely on Alisson playing the game of his life every game.

“We have to be better without the ball and if we do that hopefully the crowd can be behind us as we know what they can be like on Champions League nights."

The manager, meanwhile, was back to his most civil, and returned to his nice line in under-statement on his way out of the press conference. “I do hope that the two next finals we play a bit better than the first one,” he said.

LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Alisson 6; Alexander-Arnold 6, Konate 6, van Dijk 5, Tsimikas 5 (Robertson 46, 6); Szoboszlai 5 (Mac Allister 46, 7), Gravenberch 6 (Endo 81), Jones 6 (Elliott 46, 7); Salah 8, Nunez 8 (Jota 68, 5), Diaz 7.

Subs not used: Chiesa, Kelleher, McConnell, Quansah.

SOUTHAMPTON (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale 7; Walker-Peters 6, Bednarek 6 (Bella-Kotchap 18, 6), Harwood-Bellis 6, Manning 6 (Aribo 83); Ugochukwu 6 (Onuachu 83), Smallbone 7 (Lallana 72, 5); Dibling 6 (Sugawara 64, 5), Fernandes 6, Sulemana 6; Gronbaek 6 (Archer 64, 5).

Subs not used: McCarthy, Wellington, Stephens.

Referee: L Smith 7