A round-up of the latest Liverpool news as Arne Slot admits one player ‘could have done better’ against Arsenal and Wataru Endo threatens to scupper the boss’ plan.
Aaron Briggs steps in as Liverpool’s set-piece specialist coach vs Arsenal
Arne Slot rebuilt the coaching staff at Liverpool after replacing Jurgen Klopp but they remain without a set-piece specialist. So, Aaron Briggs stepped in to direct play from their attacking and defensive set-pieces as Liverpool beat Arsenal 2-1 in their friendly on Wednesday night.
Briggs was stood on the touchline throughout the encounter at Lincoln Financial Field yelling orders whenever Liverpool dealt with a dead-ball scenario. Slot is still to hire a specialist set-piece coach to take the position that Klopp left vacant throughout his tenure on Merseyside.
Liverpool have been striving to hire the Reds’ first-ever set-piece specialist coach since May. But their quest to find a UEFA A licence holder who can provide analysis, planning and skills to thrive with dead balls is yet to pay dividends as the 2024/25 Premier League term nears.
Read more about what Briggs did as Liverpool beat Arsenal in Philadelphia, here.
Wataru Endo is refusing to leave Liverpool as Arne Slot welcomes offers
New Liverpool head coach Arne Slot is open to selling Wataru Endo this summer but the 31-year-old is refusing to leave. That is according to journalist David Lynch, who claims that the midfielder is desperate to fight for his future at Anfield only one term after joining the Reds.
Endo is raring to prove his worth to Slot before Liverpool have the chance to agree a deal to sell him. The 62-cap Japan ace has no desire to be a one-season wonder on Merseyside and wants to show more. Endo started in 20 of a potential 33 Premier League matches last term.
Slot has so far given Endo chances over Liverpool’s pre-season tour of the USA to prove his worth. He started but played in just the first half as the Reds beat Real Betis. Slot introduced Endo at half-time as Liverpool edged Arsenal, too, but saw him receive another yellow card.
Read more about Endo’s refusal to accept Slot’s stance on a transfer, here.
Arne Slot felt Harvey Elliot ‘could have done better’ against Arsenal
Liverpool beat Arsenal 2-1 in a friendly on Wednesday after goals from Mohamed Salah (13’) and Fabio Carvalho (34’) that Harvey Elliott assisted in Philadelphia. But Arne Slot admits he, albeit harshly, feels Elliott could have done even more to help the Reds claim a bigger result.
Slot appreciated the display that Elliott put in from Liverpool’s engine room alongside Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai. Yet the 21-year-old still left the Dutch tactician wanting more from the deeper position he featured from after taking an attacking place against Real Betis.
Elliott wasted a few glorious chances to fire further goals past Arsenal and he started slowly, too. It was not until the midfielder played a perfectly weighted ball over the top for Salah to run onto that he sprung into life. So, Slot still feels Elliott has room to improve for Liverpool.
“If I am a bit hard on him, I think there were two or three situations where he could have done better,” Slot said in his post-game press conference Elliott’s performance.
“But that’s what the team is doing for him; we make sure he and the other ones like Mo and like Fabio come in the right positions where they can show their quality. Harvey did that today with two good assists.”
Read more about what Slot has said on Elliott’s display for Liverpool against Arsenal, here.
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