Arne Slot told he's made big Liverpool mistake after Man Utd and Eintracht Frankfurt comments

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Former Liverpool defender Glen Johnson reckons Arne Slot has dropped a clanger by moaning about how rival teams approach matches against the Reds, essentially exposing their own vulnerabilities. Following the win over Man United, the Dutch boss took a swipe at Ruben Amorim's tactics in the 2-1 reverse against United, criticising their defensive setup and reliance on long balls in the air.

Slot clarified his comments this week, insisting his remarks were intended as praise for the opposition's clever approach against the defending champions. He would revisit that tactical element following the Champions League victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.

Slot acknowledged his squad had improved when handling crosses into the penalty area. He said: "That is a big, big, big difference and you go in at half-time at 1-1 with still the same amount of chances, but people will judge us differently if you don't score them."

"The biggest exception for me compared to the other games we've played was the playing style of our opponent. We got some energy out of the moments we could press them, which in the last four or five games we played we were not able to press the opponent because the ball wasn't on the ground, it was in the air."

Nevertheless, Johnson reckons Slot's observations about tactical approaches should have remained behind closed doors.

Speaking to aceodds.com, Johnson said: "Every team has their own style and you play with what you've got. Everyone wants to play football, in terms of what we call tiki-taka, which is great.

"But if you're susceptible against long balls, people are going to see that and try to exploit it. These days, everyone's got their own styles, the game's changing really quick.

"People need to do whatever they can to get an advantage on their opponents and if they think going long and attacking certain players and certain areas helps, teams are going to do that.

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"Usually the managers take the bullet and protect their players, but at the same time, managers will also do what they think will get the best reaction out of their players. So if that means pointing the finger at them every now and then, if he's right, then it's okay.

"Of course you still need to make sure it's a happy camp and make sure it's constructive what you're actually trying to do rather than dissecting yourself from the team.

"I'm sure he's doing what he thinks is right, but in my experience it's always better to have those battles inside the camp and keep it in the dressing room."

Liverpool are off to Brentford later today, hoping to halt their streak of three consecutive Premier League losses and close the gap on top-placed Arsenal . The Gunners face Crystal Palace at home tomorrow afternoon.

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