Arne Slot says crisis-hit Manchester United are “a lot, a lot better” than their surprising place within the Premier League suggests as he prepares his Liverpool staff for a conflict in opposition to their fierce rivals on Sunday.
Liverpool are six factors clear on the high of the Premier League desk — and are scorching favourites to land a twentieth English top-flight crown, which might pull them degree with record-holders United.
United, against this, are 14th within the desk after 5 defeats of their previous six league video games below new supervisor Ruben Amorim.
However Slot, additionally in his first marketing campaign in England, is adamant he won’t take his opponents flippantly at Anfield, when requested if he may relaxation gamers at Friday’s pre-match press convention.
“No, in fact I’m not going to plan to relaxation any participant as a result of it’s an enormous recreation and I feel it’s for me I mentioned it earlier than the primary fixture (a 3-0 win at Previous Trafford) and I can say it yet one more time, that they’ve a lot better gamers for my part than possibly the league desk reveals for the time being.
“I feel it’s going to take some time possibly for Ruben Amorim to carry this out of the gamers… however they may positively go up and they’re much, a lot, a lot better than the league desk reveals for the time being.”
The Dutchman mentioned he had sympathy together with his rival within the Previous Trafford scorching seat, who joined United from Portuguese champions Sporting Lisbon in November.
“I feel each supervisor sympathises with each different supervisor, as a result of everyone knows how a lot strain this job brings,” mentioned Slot.
“That’s not completely different for him than for me, or for some other supervisor that works within the Premier League, or some place else world wide.”
Slot was requested whether or not he might categorically state that Liverpool wouldn’t let Trent Alexander-Arnold depart within the January switch window, with the defender closely linked with a transfer to Actual Madrid.
Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and captain Virgil van Dijk are all out of contract on the finish of the season and may now discuss to international golf equipment.
Slot mentioned Alexander-Arnold was “absolutely dedicated” to Liverpool and could be taking part in on Sunday.
“Hopefully he brings the identical performances as he introduced in for the final half-year, as a result of I feel everyone noticed how nice a primary half of the season he had, how a lot he’s right here, how a lot he desires to win right here,” mentioned Slot.
AFP