Arne Slot believes the grind of the Premier League keeps his Liverpool players honest.
The Kop boss faces reigning champions Manchester City as title runners and Pep Guardiola's men in crisis after five straight defeats were followed by an epic Champions League collapse in the draw with Slot's former club Feyenoord. But the Reds have been forced to work so hard by opponents this season that the manager feels no evidence of complacency.
Slot said: “What has helped is that every match so far has been difficult to win. When you win 3-0, 4-0 or 5-0 four or five times in a row, people tend to say, 'Oh well, this is going to be pretty easy.'
“But all our matches were so exciting and we had to work so hard for it, that all the players feel and know how difficult it is to get a result. Sometimes I have to tell them, but I think they feel it anyway.”
Guardiola was so caught up in the drama of City's collapse against Feyenoord that he accidentally scratched his own face as his side threw away a three-goal lead in the final 15 minutes on Tuesday night.
Twenty-four hours later, the Premier League leaders remained at the top of the Champions League table by beating European champions Real Madrid 2–0 at Anfield.
Slot said: “I hope you don't ever see me (after losing). But when it does happen, I often think I'm the same person. For example, if we lose maybe once or twice, I will yell at the referee, but the people in this building will also see that I will be attentive and calm if we lose.
“That doesn't mean I can't be angry, but I'm generally thoughtful and calm.”
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