Arne Slot Says Liverpool ‘need To Be Better’ After Community Shield Defeat

After his Liverpool squad mislaid nan Community Shield successful a punishment shootout to Crystal Palace, their manager, Arne Slot admitted nan trouble of bedding successful nan summer’s caller signings.

“Sometimes you request immoderate clip to accommodate offensively aliases defensively,” said Slot. Two caller arrivals successful striker Hugo Ekitiké and right-back Jeremie Frimpong sewage connected nan scoresheet but Palace, who mightiness person won nan crippled successful normal clip during their awesome second-half showing, exposed nan Premier League champions’ weaknesses.

Florian Wirtz successful a No 10 domiciled and Milos Kerkez arsenic an overlapping left-back connected nan other broadside of Frimpong made for a highly attacking Liverpool lineup. “In nan full pre-season we saw we are capable to create much opportunities, chances, we predominate possibly moreover more,” said Slot. “Now we are amended successful creating and getting promising situations than we were successful nan full of past play but it is besides existent that we person conceded 2 against [Athletic Club] Bilbao and 2 again today.

“We request to beryllium amended defensively,” Slot admitted: “It is disappointing of course, if you spell successful beforehand and you are not capable to triumph nan game. It was adjacent and location were points wherever I thought we could triumph it but it went to penalties and they were amended successful that moment.”

Slot refused to panic up of his team’s defence of nan Premier League title, which kicks disconnected connected Friday against Bournemouth. He said: “We are Liverpool, nan unit is ever on. Even if we bring 10 players in, aliases nary players in, location is ever unit erstwhile you deterioration a Liverpool shirt.”

He offered measured in installments to Wirtz and Ekitiké: “These are players we person brought successful for rather a batch of money truthful they cognize really to grip nan pressure. Both of them played a bully game.”

A minute’s soundlessness for Diogo Jota and his relative Andre Silva was disrupted and curtailed by a smattering of chanting Palace fans but Slot responded diplomatically. “I americium a affirmative personification and if I look astatine nan respect that has been paid to them both,” he said. “I don’t deliberation he had a bad intention, nan feline aliases guys. The fans of Crystal Palace and everyplace astir nan world person paid immense respect to Diogo and Andre.”

The Palace head Oliver Glasner was delighted to adhd further silverware to past season’s FA Cup. He said: “I person to springiness large in installments to nan players for this triumph today, we came backmost and were capable to determine nan crippled connected penalties. We were connected nan aforesaid level arsenic Liverpool and it was a large performance.”

Asked whether he would switch triumph astatine Wembley for nan Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling successful Palace’s favour connected Monday complete playing successful nan Europa League aliases Conference League, Glasner said: “No, we will judge this. Tomorrow we person nary power truthful we will observe coming and past meet for luncheon astatine training. Then we will schedule nan remainder of August. If we play successful nan Conference League, we person much games successful August.”