Arne Slot: Diogo Jota loss still affecting Liverpool players but is not ‘excuse’
By Carl Markham, PA
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot admits it is impossible to measure the impact the grief over Diogo Jota’s death has had on his team-mates, but they will never use it as an excuse for poor results.
After Scotland’s dramatic midweek World Cup qualifying win over Denmark, captain Andy Robertson said he was “in bits” before the game thinking about the Portugal international, who died in a car crash with his brother Andre Silva in July.
Liverpool’s seven-match winning run at the start of the season helped mask any emotions the players may have been feeling but seven defeats in the next 10 raised questions about whether there may be underlying issues related to the tragedy.
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It has also been suggested supporters continuing to sing Jota’s song in the 20th minute of matches – the minute corresponding to his shirt number – may unwittingly be an disruptive reminder to those on the field.
Robertson’s comments, in which he also said he was “in a bit of trouble” with the feelings he experienced alone in his hotel room before Scotland’s game, have put the issue out in the open but Slot said the extent of the emotional cost was not something he was able to assess.
“I saw the interview as well and I know that it is an issue for us, which is completely normal,” said the Dutchman.
“I think it is good for us to remind (ourselves) of him every time possible because of the person and player he was.
“But it is impossible to measure what it does to the players and then to measure what it does to our results.
“The last thing I would do is use it as an excuse because I simply don’t know. What I do know is we miss the player, that is 100 per cent sure, and we also miss the person.
“But I cannot measure what impact that has on our performances, let alone results. That is impossible to say.
“We will never use it as an excuse because that doesn’t feel right.”
Asked whether that should be taken into account when assessing Liverpool’s recent performances Slot added: “We are always judged, sometimes fair, sometimes unfair.
“But in these moments of time I also think how must it feel for his wife and his children because that is so much harder for them than it is us but that we miss the player and the person, that is completely clear.
“We play Nottingham Forest (on Saturday); last season we were 1-0 down at Forest and it only took him one minute (after coming on) to score the equaliser.
“This time we haven’t been able to come back as many times as last season after being 1-0 down or a goal down and he definitely played his part in that last season.”
Slot’s hopes of arresting the slide on the pitch have not been helped by muscle injuries to playmaker Florian Wirtz and right-back Conor Bradley – the latter set to be sidelined for three weeks – although goalkeeper Alisson Becker is back after eight matches out with a hamstring problem.
With Liverpool’s other right-back Jeremie Frimpong still a a fortnight from fitness it presents an issue for Slot, who has deployed midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai there a number of times this season already.
However, the Hungary captain has been his best player in his more advanced role so that could mean either another midfielder Curtis Jones or Joe Gomez, who has completed 90 minutes only twice since Boxing Day, could feature.
