Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk expressed his delight for the fantastic start but understands there is big room for improvement. The Reds have won nine out of their first 10 games in all competitions under the head coach Arne Slot.
Liverpool are at the top of the Premier League table and won their first Carabao Cup fixture against West Ham. Furthermore, they have started their Champions League campaign strongly with victories against AC Milan and Bologna under a new format.
However, the Reds face an incredible challenge after the October international break with a congested fixture period on the horizon. Liverpool have not faced any team from the top half of the Premier League table yet as Chelsea awaits.
The Reds have a tougher schedule, facing some of the best European teams in the Champions League between Premier League games. They will face last season’s Bundesliga’s invincible champions Bayer Leverkusen and last season’s Champions League winner and arch-rivals Real Madrid.
Liverpool faces these teams while fighting the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle United in the Premier League. Slot needs to use the full strength of his squad to maintain a high fitness level and ensure performance consistency.
Speaking to the Premier League’s official YouTube channel, Van Dijk praised the start but demanded more improvement from his team. He said:
“I think we still have so much to improve. But the start, I think everyone can be happy with where we’re at at the moment with the results. Some of the games have been not as good as we’d like to be but we still got a result. It’s going to be a long season, we have so many games left [and] players are getting used to the demands of the new coach. But in terms of changes tactically or any of that, there’s not [been] major changes.”
Liverpool have displayed formidable defensive dominance combined with more control of the game and attacking fluidity. However, there is an issue with complacency and moments where they allow their opponents to gain some momentum.
While Slot has the same philosophy that legendary manager Jurgen Klopp installed within the club, there are subtle tactical differences. The biggest issue that Liverpool faced under Klopp involved a severe injury crisis and leaving huge spaces due to directness.
Liverpool played a very direct attacking and counter-attacking style of play under Klopp with high-line and spaces between midfield and defence. However, Slot deploys a more controlled structure with an emphasis on patience buildup at times instead of constantly deploying attacks.
More Liverpool News
- Contract dilemma: Will Liverpool risk losing Mohamed Salah despite his impact?
- Liverpool enjoys defensive dominance under Arne Slot’s tactics
- PGMOL chief explains Virgil van Dijk penalty decision in Crystal Palace clash
The new tactical approach has negated the spaces between the midfield and defence with proper structure in place. Hopefully, these tactics will also negate the injury crisis issues as players use game management to avoid fatigue or other problems that come with constantly pushing the opposition.
