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Beth Lindop
Multiple Authors
Arne Slot stated that Liverpool’s misfortune this season has tragically extended to their new signing, Jérémy Jacquet, who has sustained a shoulder injury just before his summer transfer to Anfield.
Liverpool reached an agreement for a £60 million ($82 million) transfer of Jacquet from Rennes on deadline day, but the center-back may need surgery following an injury he incurred while competing for the French club over the weekend.
“It certainly feels that way,” Slot remarked when asked about Liverpool’s bad luck this season.
“Even when we sign a player who hasn’t even debuted for us yet, he gets injured. It often feels like this, but the moment we begin to believe that it’s all bad luck, it likely becomes a reality, so we must steer clear of that mindset and concentrate on improving our performance,” Slot stated.
“The frequency with which we’ve conceded late goals in stoppage time is higher than normal. The real question is whether it’s bad luck or if we are accountable?”
“I’ve experimented with various strategies, making defensive substitutions which still resulted in goals against us, and retaining the same players only to face the same outcome. We’ve tried numerous approaches, and I can confidently say luck hasn’t been on our side, that’s absolutely true.”
“The real inquiry is whether our predicament stems from bad luck or if it’s indicative of who we are as a team. We can only uncover the answer over the next three to four months.”
Slot also admitted that this has been the most challenging season of his career, acknowledging that failing to qualify for the Champions League could significantly affect Liverpool’s transfer activities in the summer.
“If we miss out on Champions League participation, then this season will definitely be deemed unacceptable,” he remarked.
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“When I first joined and only brought in Federico Chiesa, it followed a season in the Europa League. This has a substantial impact on how the club operates, and I am fully aware of that.”
The Liverpool manager concluded: “Yes, I can confidently say this season has been the most difficult of my career. By far. In contrast to previous seasons, where I only encountered positives, I have never experienced two consecutive losses until this season. It is an unusual situation for me, as it is for the players. They are not accustomed to frequent losses or draws, and I am not either.”