Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard claimed Reds boss Arne Slot “needs to stop mentioning low blocks” after the Dutchman blamed his side’s inconsistency on matches where teams sit deep.
Liverpool ran out 3-0 winners over Marseille at the Stade Velodrome on Wednesday evening as Slot’s side successfully navigated a potentially tricky away fixture, with the Liverpool boss praising his side after the win.
However, when asked what the key factor is to going on a consistent run of winning matches, the 47-year-old replied: “I know why we’re not consistent and that is mainly to do when a game is open, it is completely different than playing against a low block.
“You cannot compare that with the game tonight when both teams want to press and play out from the back. If we’re inconsistent, it’s because we struggle with low blocks.”
While Gerrard was full of praise for the performance offered by his former club, the ex-England international highlighted that Slot “needs to stop mentioning low blocks” and instead work on finding solutions.
“I’m really pleased for him [Slot] because it can’t be easy when you’re under that pressure, when results are not consistent. But his tactics were spot on tonight and I think he deserves a lot of praise and credit,” said Gerrard.
“But he needs to stop mentioning low blocks. Low blocks have been happening to Liverpool ever since I played and many, many years before me, that’s just the way it is.
“Teams are going to do that, they’re going to try and do everything they can to stop Liverpool. The key is, you’ve got to find the solutions. You’ve got the players to do it, you’ve got to find the solutions and then you will turn those low block games into wins, rather than draws.”
The champions have seen their Premier League title defence falter this season after a poor run of form, with the weekend’s draw against Burnley their fourth stalemate in five matches at the time.
And Gerrard emphasised that the club will continue to face low blocks as they hunt for European football this season, with the Reds in fourth, one point ahead of fifth-placed Manchester United.
“It’s not going to change, it’s what this team are going to face,” explained the 45-year-old. “They’re going to probably face a low block at times against Bournemouth at the weekend but they’ve got to be ruthless, they’ve got to show their talent, the big players have got to step forward and score the goals that are needed to win them games because they are difficult to win.”
Liverpool’s next league match comes against Bournemouth on Saturday, 24 January, with kick-off scheduled for 5.30pm, while their final Champions League fixture sees them face Qarabag at Anfield on Wednesday, 28 January.
