Liverpool manager Arne Slot hit out at Jamie Carragher with a savage response after the Reds’ convincing 3-0 Champions League win over Marseille in France
Arne Slot hit out at Jamie Carragher, telling the Liverpool legend ‘I don’t think I should listen to you’ in a blunt tongue-in-cheek comment.
The Liverpool boss was in high spirits after his team took a significant stride towards securing their spot in the Champions League knockout stages. The Reds journeyed to France to take on Marseille and dispatched the Ligue 1 outfit with a ruthless performance. A clever free-kick from Dominik Szoboszlai was followed by an own goal from Geronimo Rulli and a last-gasp strike from Cody Gakpo.
This was a crucial victory for the Merseyside club, who have been held to a draw in their last four Premier League outings. After being criticised for a lacklustre attack, Carragher asked Slot on how it felt to see his team net three goals while keeping a clean sheet.
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The Liverpool great asked: “Arne, can I ask about the set-up tonight. The last few months you’ve tried to make the team get better and better, and you’ve played lots of different formations, can you explain how it looked tonight?”.
Slot retorted with a smirk, saying: “I find it hard to listen to you, Jamie, because you are the one who told me I have to make sure we didn’t concede that much. So I started to do that (change his formations on a regular basis) and people began to complain it became boring, so I’m not sure if I should listen to you.”
Slot also cheekily hinted that Carragher only discusses Liverpool when matters turn sour, remarking: “We score three and now, people like Jamie are positive about us. I don’t think you were positive after the Burnley game, were you, Jamie?”.
Slot’s comeback sparked laughter in the CBS Studio, which also featured Micah Richards, Thierry Henry and host Kate Scott. Once the laughter died down, Slot made a point of addressing Carragher’s inquiry and outlining his tactical reasoning.
When questioned about the alterations, he explained: “Because of some injuries we have, because of the players we have available and because of the opponents’ style of play.
“We thought it was a good idea to play with Mohamed Salah and Hugo Ekitike up front and to overload the midfield with players who are very good in-between the lines.
“I think you could see that today with full-backs who could attack down the side with Mac Allister and Ryan (Gravenberch) who could help out Joe (Gomez) and Virgil (Van Dijk) in the build-up.”
It capped off an entertaining conclusion to a flawless evening for Slot’s team. They’re on the verge of clinching a place in the round of 16 through the eight direct qualification spots.
A triumph at Anfield against Azerbaijani outfit Qarabag would propel them into the knockout stages without needing to navigate the two-legged play-offs. This would provide a massive advantage for Slot’s squad, who remain embroiled in a fierce struggle for top-four status on the domestic front.