Arne Slot could do with a lesson from Jurgen Klopp after bizarre Champions League comments

Liverpool eased the pressure on manager Arne Slot with a morale-boosting 6-0 win over Qarabag in the Champions League on Wednesday night.

A thumping free kick from Mohamed Salah was the pick of the bunch as the Reds secured their place in the Champions League top eight.

Further goals from Alexis MacAllister (two), Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Federico Chiesa saw Liverpool end the group phase in style.

By finishing third in the table, Slot’s men have the luxury of avoiding an extra play-off round with the Reds set to continue their European campaign in the round of 16 in March.

However, despite a positive night at Anfield, those in the media pen after the game would not have thought so, following some strange comments from Slot.

Arne Slot’s strange Europa League callback

Victory in the Champions League was a much-needed change of pace for Slot, whose side saw their 13-match unbeaten run come to an end at the hands of Bournemouth at the weekend.

Despite losing Jeremie Frimpong to injury early on, Liverpool found their shooting boots again after a worrying spell of performances in front of goal.

The rout was quite cathartic for an Anfield crowd whose frustration had been growing after a spell of disappointing draws at home to newly-promoted Leeds and Burnley in the Premier League.

However, Slot decided to bring Liverpool back down to earth after the game, with a bizarre callback to a heavy defeat under his predecessor Jurgen Klopp.

Speaking after the game, Slot said: “We are happy that we are going straight away to the last 16, especially because it’s only two years ago that we were playing Europa League and we went out in the quarter-finals against Atalanta.”

The Dutchman was referring to the Reds’ 23/24 Europa League campaign, which saw Liverpool exit the competition at the quarter-final stage after a damaging 3-0 home defeat to Atalanta in what proved to be Klopp’s last European game at Anfield.

A “bizarre presser”

The comments marked a complete tone shift in what was a night that should have left Liverpool fans fancying their chances in a competition they have won six times previously.

Reacting to the comments, journalist Lewis Steele said: “That was a bizarre presser. They’ve won 6-0, but I’ve walked out of the room with a sense of negativity. Someone somewhere has clearly wound up Arne Slot.”

Slot’s words come after a string of other negative comments from the Dutchman in the past couple of weeks.

That was a bizarre presser. They’ve won 6-0 but I’ve walked out the room with a sense of negativity. Someone somewhere has clearly wound up Arne Slot

— Lewis Steele (@LewisSteele_) January 28, 2026

Slot suggests PSG loss helped Liverpool win the Premier League last season

Liverpool fans have been quick to notice the marked change in Slot’s demeanour lately.

Whilst the Dutchman has hardly ever been a Jurgen Klopp on the touchline, driving his team forward with his glass-half-full approach, Arne Slot is starting to sound like a beaten man at Liverpool.

Just before the Qarabag game, Slot was quizzed on the demands of an increasing fixture list on the squad, before launching into a strange theory as to why Liverpool won the Premier League last season.

“This is not going to be a popular opinion, what I’m going to tell you now,” Slot said.

“But maybe the reason why we won the league last season is that we had to play Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16.

“As you know, they beat us, and we had every time a week to prepare for our next game. Maybe that has helped us as well.

“Maybe if we had to double that program, which Arsenal had to, and they dropped a few points in that period of time, that has helped us in winning the league.”

Slot’s nonsensical pessimism

The theory sparked a huge reaction from Liverpool fans online, not only because of the pessimism being injected into their historic title win, but also because it doesn’t stack up to evidence.

Whilst the Reds eventually cantered to the title with five games to spare, Liverpool won only four of their last 10 games after PSG dumped them out of the Champions League – so much for the French side doing us a favour.

In addition to this, Slot has also been criticised for suddenly referring to last year’s title triumph as Liverpool’s “second in 30 years” when it was “second in five years” back in May.

With Slot seemingly changing the club’s narrative to suit him when things aren’t going well, the Dutchman’s press conferences are drawing unwanted attention to his managerial credentials at Anfield.

Liverpool need believers, not doubters

Liverpool will know the famous line from Jurgen Klopp, who summed up his successful time at Anfield as an era when the Reds changed from doubters into believers.

After seeing so many false dawns before the Germans’ arrival, Liverpool were rightly pessimistic about the team’s chances of ever reaching the top of English football again.

But Klopp’s infectious energy and enthusiasm gradually transformed the club and its fans into a feared European prospect again.

Before Premier League and Champions League triumphs under the German, the Reds suffered a setback with defeat in the Europa League final in 2016. And Liverpool fans may remember Klopp’s incredible reaction to the loss.

Whilst the Reds were licking their wounds, Klopp used his presser to reiterate this was the start of something and Liverpool would use this defeat to come back stronger.

It’s worth remembering that Liverpool are still amongst the favourites for the Champions League despite their troubles. With the power of Anfield behind them, anything can happen in the latter stages – and history shows it usually does.

Slot will never be Klopp, but he could certainly take a leaf out of the German’s playbook. There’s a long list of things Liverpool need to rescue their season, but a bit of optimism is certainly one of them.