Arne Slot revealed his half-time rant impressed Liverpool to battle again for a 3-1 win in opposition to Southampton because the Premier League leaders moved 16 factors clear on Saturday.
Slot was watching from the Anfield stands as he served the final sport of his touchline suspension for a foul-mouthed tirade on the officers following Liverpool’s draw with Everton.
The Reds boss was nonetheless in a position to be part of his gamers within the altering room on the interval and took the chance to let rip after their dismal first half show in opposition to backside of the desk Southampton.
A mixture-up between Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk and goalkeeper Alisson Becker allowed Will Smallbone to provide the Saints a shock lead seconds earlier than the break.
However Slot was fast to level out their flaws and demand an enchancment earlier than making a triple substitution with Harvey Elliott, Andy Robertson and Alexis Mac Allister approaching and instantly altering the dynamic.
Throughout the area of 5 minutes, Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah netted to revive order as Liverpool averted an embarrassing defeat.
Salah, who blasted dwelling his second penalty of the afternoon within the 88th minute, mentioned in a post-match tv interview that Slot’s “head was going for us”.
“I did not give them compliments at half-time, I can inform you,” Slot mentioned as he confirmed Salah’s view on the half-time discuss.
“Possibly I can inform you it was as a result of I used to be sitting up there as a substitute of on the road. If you watch a sport from there you at all times really feel that ‘Ah, even I can play on this sport’ however if you find yourself on the road, there’s extra tempo.
“I do not suppose I used to be mistaken if I mentioned at half-time that the vitality ranges had been far, far, far too low.
“That needed to change and that’s the reason we made three substitutions, aside from vitality to usher in high quality.
“9 out of 10 instances whenever you take three out, the opposite eight are like, one thing else ought to occur.
“That was the one factor I may give you at half-time to create one thing completely different for the second half.”
‘Completely different vitality ranges’
Wednesday’s hard-fought 1-0 win at Paris Saint-Germain within the Champions League final 16 first leg appeared to take a toll on Liverpool’s fatigued stars within the opening interval.
Slot was relieved to see his adjustments repay and produce a extra vibrant efficiency within the second half.
“I do know these gamers can give you fully completely different vitality ranges than they did within the first half,” Slot mentioned.
“It was the primary time this season I noticed this tempo.
“Once I have a look at the sport in opposition to PSG, we’ve to go one step up by way of depth and in comparison with the sport as we speak, we have to go 5, six, seven steps up if we need to have any likelihood of reaching the subsequent spherical.”
Second-placed Arsenal have two video games in hand on Liverpool, beginning with Sunday’s journey to Manchester United.
However Slot’s males are odds on favourites to win a record-equalling twentieth English title and first since 2020.
With no extra league video games on the schedule for Liverpool in March, the Reds will flip to the Champions League on Tuesday when PSG go to Anfield.
Then they’ll head to Wembley for the League Cup closing in opposition to Newcastle as Slot appears to win his first trophy since changing Jurgen Klopp final yr.
