Slot’s half-time intervention helped Liverpool get better in opposition to Forest

Arne Slot has now defined precisely what he instructed his Liverpool gamers at half time in the course of the 1-0 Premier League win over Nottingham Forest, and the Dutchman’s message was much less tactical and way more about power and mentality.

We had been lucky to achieve the interval degree.

Forest recorded 12 first-half photographs and compelled us deep for lengthy stretches, and Slot didn’t attempt to gown it up afterwards (through Liverpoolfc.com): “It was the worst first half we’ve performed…

“Forest had been the higher workforce and had been forcing us to return, however we defended rather well in our field.”

That defensive resilience, moderately than management, was the one motive the sport remained 0-0.

Slot’s half-time message: power first, techniques second

The important thing level in Slot’s dressing room discuss was easy: the sport might change if our depth modified: “If we might deliver again that mentality to the entire pitch…

“and perhaps not lose each ball you contact, as a result of that was nearly what occurred, then you understand these gamers can do higher.”

The 46-year-old didn’t concentrate on formations or methods first.

As a substitute he tried to spark a psychological response: “I attempted to present them a little bit of power to say, ‘They’ve performed Thursday… we for positive can’t have run out of power but, so perhaps that may steadiness the sport.’”

He even referenced a earlier comeback efficiency to strengthen perception: “I identified our second half in opposition to Manchester Metropolis as properly… we’re in a position to play a significantly better second half.”

The gamers themselves successfully confirmed the identical shift afterwards.

“The primary half wasn’t good in any respect; positioning, urgent, depth. It was not our normal. The second half… was higher.” stated Alexis Mac Allister.

The numbers present this can be a season-long sample

The Forest match truly matches a broader development moderately than standing out as an anomaly.

In accordance with evaluation by Michael Reid (Substack):

Situation
Liverpool league rating

First halves solely
twelfth

Second halves solely
4th

We’re additionally scoring our third-fewest first-half objectives per recreation in a league season in our historical past.

So the problem Slot was addressing on the break has been recurring.

Liverpool struggled to maintain the ball, Florian Wirtz’s harm within the warm-up compelled Curtis Jones into the facet, and Dominik Szoboszlai spent lengthy intervals filling in at right-back, leaving us disjointed and wanting management.

Even criticism after the match mirrored that gradual begin.

“There’s no query Arne Slot is a large a part of the issue on this first half,” Steve Nicol argued on ESPN FC, pointing to the flat opening 45 minutes.

Why the workforce discuss mattered

Slot’s modifications didn’t instantly produce a dominant efficiency nonetheless they produced one thing extra necessary: stability.

We stopped shedding the ball immediately, pushed larger, and steadily the momentum turned, helped by Rio Ngumoha’s late introduction and finally Alexis Mac Allister’s 97th-minute winner.

The second half was not good soccer nevertheless it was managed soccer.

And judging by Slot’s personal phrases, that was precisely the purpose of his half-time intervention.