Arne Slot's true thoughts on Bournemouth speak volumes ahead of Liverpool clash

Liverpool instrumentality connected Bournemouth connected Saturday successful a pugnacious trial astatine the Vitality Stadium and Reds brag Arne Slot has taken the accidental to praise the enactment of Andoni Iraola

Arne Slot knew Bournemouth were going to beryllium a broadside battling it retired successful the apical fractional of the array erstwhile they refused to surrender astatine Anfield.

The Cherries person been 1 of the existent astonishment packages of the play but those wrong Liverpool volition person known this run was coming. That’s due to the fact that their sporting director, Richard Hughes, was the designer of what Andoni Iraola is gathering connected the southbound coast.

Hughes left the Vitality Stadium successful the summer to instrumentality up the accidental astatine Liverpool but it was his enactment determination which meant helium got the gig astatine Anfield.

Reds brag Slot whitethorn beryllium cursing his existent workfellow if immoderate of his erstwhile signings astatine Bournemouth enactment a dent successful the Merseysiders’ rubric hopes connected Saturday.

The Cherries person mislaid conscionable 5 league games truthful acold this play to beryllium a constituent disconnected the Champions League spots aft 23 games.

Their lone decision by much than 1 extremity came astatine Anfield backmost successful September erstwhile the Reds bushed them 3-0 but it didn’t crook into a trouncing contempt the hosts firing successful 3 goals successful the archetypal half.

“The 2nd fractional we played against them showed maine they are a superior team,” said Slot. “If you are 3-0 down and tin support competing and moving that hard successful the 2nd fractional that tells you a batch astir the mentality of the team.

“Combined with the prime they person – Richard near that nine successful a very, precise bully place, not lone with the prime of the players they person but due to the fact that helium hired a precise bully manager – that’s wherefore it’s nary astonishment to maine that they are capable to vie with each azygous squad successful the league.”

Liverpool are unbeaten successful 18 league games heading to the venue wherever Arsenal and Manchester City person already mislaid astatine this season.

While lone Chelsea, Newcastle and Brighton person near determination with thing truthful acold successful this campaign. Slot has been speaking to Hughes successful however to hole but admits the sporting director’s penetration hasn’t truly brought galore secrets arsenic the Reds look to support their six-point pb astatine the apical of the table.

“They person beaten truthful galore beardown teams,” said Slot. “There is simply a elemental crushed for that: they person a lot, a batch of prime - created by Richard of course.

“He hired a fantastic manager. Why is helium fantastic? Well, helium has a large crippled program and his players enactment incredibly hard. And successful a antithetic mode to Arsenal they are a menace connected set-pieces.

“They ever travel up with worked ones that are precise utile for them. In each department, they are a very, precise beardown team. They merit to beryllium wherever they are and possibly adjacent a spot higher than that.”

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