Arne Slot has admitted he’s losing patience with what he calls the “new tactics” of modern football and it’s a message that cuts right to the heart of where we’ve struggled this season.
Speaking to Sky Sports News ahead of Sunday’s trip to Manchester City, Liverpool’s head coach lamented the way time-wasting and direct play have taken over the game.
“There are so many other games, especially currently in football, that are not, in my opinion, a joy to watch anymore,” he said. “It’s become more and more time wasting.
“It’s become more and more things that I don’t like that much about the game, but which are very good tools to use to make it difficult for other teams if they play against you.
“So it’s a new tactic in football, I would say.”
Liverpool need to show strength against time-wasting tactics
The Dutchman’s comments strike a familiar chord.
He’s spoken before about our struggles against sides who rely on long balls, throw-ins and direct transitions, and while it’s admirable to hear such honesty, it’s also sparked debate about whether we should be so open about our weaknesses.
Ruud Gullit questioned why our boss was willing to publicly explain the tactical problems we’ve faced.
And Jason Burt of The Telegraph warned Arne Slot that repeatedly airing those frustrations risks “talking yourself into further trouble”.
Slot’s stance, however, is clear. He believes Liverpool must find a way to be stronger in these moments, not just tactically, but mentally.
It works and we struggle against it, it’s up to us to find a way to be stronger defensively in these situations though and prove that playing football the right way can be a reason we achieve more success.
City clash suits Liverpool’s footballing principles
The timing of the comments is significant.
After facing Aston Villa and Real Madrid, both of whom tried to play their way through us rather than bypass us, the Reds responded with convincing wins.
Now comes a trip to the Etihad to face Pep Guardiola’s side, who also believe in football played the right way.
That’s the kind of contest Slot relishes – one built on quality, not delay tactics.
And as he prepares his side for a fixture that’s produced some of the Premier League’s greatest battles, there’s a feeling he’s sending a message beyond this weekend: Liverpool won’t abandon their principles just because others resort to towels, long throws and endless stoppages.
Because for Slot, football has never been about wasting time. It’s about making every second count.
You can watch Slot’s comments via @SkySportsNews on X:
🗣️ "It's become more and more time-wasting. It's become more things I don't like about the game."
Liverpool manager Arne Slot discusses the different tactics used in the Premier League this season 📋 pic.twitter.com/nwR6BhlUQm
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) November 8, 2025
You can view Slot’s pre-Man City press conference via Empire of the Kop on YouTube:
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Come on Arne, it’s not a new tactic in football. It’s simply much more obvious. The authorities have failed to do anything about it and it is spoiling the excitement of games, the flow and adding VAR into the mix has really shocked me, I was 100% in favour of it simply so we would remove errors, but the time taken to come to a decision is becoming farcical, sadly the powers that be are so inept I’m not holding out for solutions any time soon.
Why did you believe that VAR would remove errors when human judgement is at the base of the system? Lucho’s ‘goal’ against Spurs was an egregious example, but errors continue as interpretation and subjectivity are still parts of VAR. It’s a blight on the game in my opinion.
There’s possibility that ALL forms of tactical time wasting are being outed in order for them to be noted and therefore recorded for future adjudication.
There are clearly a lot of them, some of which cannot be proved if players/managers play them with a contrived cover story.
eg. If one doesn’t tie one’s laces properly, they’ll undo in a few seconds just before a free kick etc.
It is taking an awfully long time (it isn’t just the EPL it occurs in), but it is a finite number.
The TV schedulers are demanding it, home and abroad, and those looking at securing the integrity of the game have this as an imperative.
Don’t forget, criminal betting syndicates can profit when matches have hugely staggered finishes.
One could also suspect that Arne believes City may try such tactics and is putting out an alert beforehand.
#115 are due this month.
Could looking to cause some friction be on the cards for City’s owners’ advantage ?
Sack Slot.
Support your own team, non.