Hugo Ekitike has pinpointed one trait about Arne Slot that he sometimes finds ‘annoying’.
The French striker has had by far the biggest impact so far of Liverpool’s multiple summer signings, with six goals (all scored on different days of the week) making him the Reds’ top scorer for the campaign prior to today’s showdown against Manchester City.
The 23-year-old has quickly won over the Anfield faithful, even when considering his needless red card against Southampton in September, although the man whose opinion matters most of all is significantly harder to please.
Ekitike opens up about Slot’s ‘annoying’ pursuit of perfection
In an interview with Chris Bascombe for The Telegraph, Ekitike spoke of how Slot is constantly demanding more from him in terms of never letting his standards drop.
Liverpool’s number 22 said: “As a player, sometimes you’re [browned off]. It’s annoying but I know he [Slot] wants the best for me and he wants the best for the team. I would say he’s on my back, but not for a bad reason. He just wants to help me, so I don’t take that badly. He wants me to give more and more.
“Sometimes you say that when a coach is on your back that maybe you feel like it’s a little bit too much and you want to complain, but it’s a good thing because, if a coach doesn’t like you, he will not speak to you or not try to get the best of you. I take that in a good way.
“When I look back and watch the discussion we have, it’s only good things and it’s only for me to improve. It’s more about work rate without the ball. Mostly about that, to be more involved and to work more for the team, which I’m trying to do. We’ll get there.”
Only the best is good enough at Liverpool
Many of football’s greatest managers are renowned for their relentless pursuit of perfection and refusal to ever be satisfied, even in the immediate aftermath of a major achievement.
That can even extend to members of coaching staff – the late Ronnie Moran memorably told a young Robbie Fowler after scoring five goals against Fulham in a League Cup tie that he should’ve had seven.
Ekitike is now experiencing something similar with Slot, namely a sense of never being content with what’s been done already and always striving for better.
If the advice from the head coach prompts the Frenchman to become an even better striker than he already is, then who knows just what the 23-year-old could be capable of?
He hasn’t actually scored in the Premier League since the Merseyside derby in September. The Etihad Stadium today would be the ideal setting for him to end that comparative drought, although he knows that behind the scenes, he’d probably still be getting critiqued by his head coach afterwards!
You can watch Slot’s full pre-Man City press conference via Empire of the Kop on YouTube:
Well this is not a bad thing isn’t it. I have worked with Dutch and made quite a number of Dutch friends. They are intelligent and love to give 100% to the things they do. This is why I have always given my support to arne slot as I believe he will ensure Liverpool remains the elite of football. Success!
As we see quite often, youngsters haven’t assimilated the enormous responsibility of top level sport.
The money, publicity, fame, adulation and the risk of over-inflated egos.
Most of these young men especially in football are simply talented, working class lads (and the lasses these days).
From the outside, it can sometimes look like these millionaires are handed it all on plate.
In most cases, it’ll be far from it.
Arne (and the other managers) will know all the pitfalls that can befall a young person.
They are plenty of distractions for young, highly paid sports men and women.
Not everyone is their friend and it’s important for them to know how to protect oneself and how to be in certain situations.
It sounds as though there’s still plenty for Hugo (and others) to learn, but as he showed after his mistake in the Southampton game, he has got his head screwed on right, even if it’s a drag sometimes.
Arne comes across as a straight and accountable person. It’s in his interests too.
Unfortunately fame, sponsorship, social media always stoke the ego of the young stars. I think slot is also trying very hard to protect ngumoha from the limelight. I trust Ekitike is in good hands for his footballing development and progress at Liverpool. He has started well on the winning side VS mbappe.