Arne Slot reveals what he told the Liverpool players after disappointing first-half vs Newcastle

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Liverpool will likely head home from St James’ Park on Wednesday with decidedly mixed feelings.

The Reds were woefully below-par for much of the game, deservedly going behind twice against Newcastle.

But having roared back to put themselves 3-2 up with just seven minutes to go, Liverpool should have seen the game out.

The chance to retain their nine point cushion at the top of the Premier League was well within their grasp, but a late error from Caoimhin Kelleher saw Fabian Schar steal in to take a point for the Magpies.

Nevertheless, Liverpool will also know that they could easily have lost the match.

After a quite dreadful first-half display, the Reds were lucky to be just the one goal down. And speaking after the game, Arne Slot revealed what he told his players in the dressing room.

Arne Slot reveals half-time message

There was very little good about Liverpool’s first-half display at St James’ Park.

Indeed the only positive was that they were somehow still in the game. At 1-0, it was plainly still a contest.

That might have been different had Anthony Gordon capitalised on Joe Gomez’s errant back pass, or if Alexander Isak had chosen to shoot rather than pull the ball back when one-on-one with Kelleher.

And speaking to Amazon Prime Sport after the game, Slot also emphasised the positive of being only one goal down.

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“I was happy that we were still in the game, only one goal down,” said the Liverpool head coach when asked what he said to his players at the break.

“And I said to them they [Newcastle] still have to prove that they can keep this tempo and intensity for 90 minutes and if we are doing a bit better, which I’m sure we are able to, then this game can be turned around.”

Slot shows second-half recovery

A theme of Slot’s short time at Liverpool so far has been his ability to see when things need changing and to change them.

The Reds have been so much better during second-halves of fixtures and that proved the case yet again on Wednesday.

For supporters, it would have been much harder to see the positives.

Given the makeshift nature of the back four, perhaps some leeway should be allowed. But Liverpool were truly dreadful for 45 minutes.

Nevertheless, the second-half showing proved once again that you can never fully write Liverpool off. Maybe this should have been three points, but it could quite easily have been zero as well.