Slott is still backing summer signings to make a huge impact at Liverpool

Slot Arne believes Liverpool will continue to improve as the season progresses and is confident his summer signings will grow into their roles as familiarity and consistency grow.

The Premier League the champions sit fourth in the table ahead of Thursday’s clash with Leeds and are unbeaten in seven games in all competitions, with recent performances suggesting a gradual return to form after a torrid start to the campaign.

Slott has seen encouraging signs from new arrivals such as Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike and is confident there is more to come from them in the second half of the season.

Asked if those players could still improve, he said: « Yes, yes, for sure. It’s not just about the new players. If you bring in a lot of new players and a lot of players leave, usually at least if I do my job well, they’ll play better football the longer they’re here and when they have more time to train and play. »

The Liverpool boss stressed the importance of continuity, pointing to recent history as proof that time together breeds success. « History has shown many times, the longer players play together, the better chance you have of winning something, » he said.

« If you add players to what you’ve got, there’s a serious chance you can improve. If you replace like we did, then it takes time. And it usually improves over a period of time. »

Slott also acknowledged the impact of injuries on his squad, revealing that some absentees will not feature again this season. « Unfortunately we won’t see Giovanni Leoni this season and Alex (Isaac) it will be a long time before we see him again, » he said, adding that the financial context around departures and arrivals was significant, even if results are only now starting to reflect that investment.

Despite Liverpool’s improved form, recent wins over Tottenham and Wolves have been marred by nervous endings, something Slott attributes to the fine margins that define football.

« That tells you how important goals are in a low-scoring sport, » he said. « One goal can change the momentum, which we saw last week and (on Saturday). »

He thought Liverpool were largely in control of both games until conceding. « In both games up to the point we conceded, it was the performance you would want from a Liverpool team, » Slott said.

« We didn’t score our first two chances. Goals have a huge impact on the momentum of the game. It showed in our last two games. »

Slot added that more effective game management is closely tied to team depth and available bench options, especially given the current injury list. « One of the ways to manage the game is the ability to make shifts, » he said.

« Last year, when we were one goal up, I brought on Wataru Endo a lot of times. I’ve said it before, I don’t know if anyone notices it, but we’re missing a lot of players. That’s why it’s so special that players who are fit bring these results. »