Forward Isak (left) traveled with Liverpool to their away game against PSG, but Sloot has confirmed he will not start.
Liverpool are about to travel to Paris to face defending champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). On April 7th, manager Sloot confirmed in an interview that striker Isak has traveled with the team to Paris to prepare for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final match on the morning of the 9th (Singapore time). However, the Swedish striker, who set a Liverpool transfer fee record, will not start in this crucial match.
The 26-year-old Isak had been sidelined for a long time due to a leg fracture, only returning to full team training last week. To protect him and prevent a recurrence of the injury, he was not included in the squad for Liverpool’s 0-4 defeat to Manchester City in the FA Cup restart last weekend, remaining on the sidelines throughout.
For Liverpool, currently struggling, Isak’s return is undoubtedly a timely boost and a significant morale stabilizing factor. Liverpool fans know that the team’s performance this season has been consistently poor, currently sitting fifth in the Premier League table and having lost 15 matches across all competitions. This is the team’s worst season in terms of losses since the 2014-2015 season (when they lost 18 matches), and their situation is indeed precarious.
Isaac transferred from Newcastle to Liverpool at the last minute of the September transfer window last year for a record-breaking £125 million (approximately S$214 million). So far this season, he has made 16 appearances for the team, contributing 3 goals and 1 assist, a mediocre performance.
Speaking about Isak’s form, Sloot stated frankly in an interview: “He’s been training with the team for almost a week now. If he couldn’t play, I definitely wouldn’t have brought him to Paris. Before the Manchester City game, we didn’t take him to the Etihad Stadium because we felt he wasn’t fully ready; now it’s different. We feel he can already help the team, but he’s still not ready to start; he needs to gradually find his form.”
This Champions League quarter-final match is actually a rematch of last season’s Round of 16. Remember last year, PSG defeated Liverpool in a penalty shootout to advance to the next round. This time, the Reds are coming with a sense of revenge.
Reflecting on last season’s two encounters, Slaughter had some (feelings/reflections): “Honestly, in that game in Paris last year, we should have lost 0-4. We didn’t lose that badly, thanks to Alisson Becker’s all-out efforts in goal. But back at our home ground, Anfield, I think we could have won that game. This time is different from last year. PSG still has the same core players as last season, while our squad has undergone some adjustments compared to last year.”
Currently, Slaughter is under considerable public pressure. The team’s poor performance has led to persistent criticism of him. However, the team’s midfield maestro, Wirtz, has stepped forward, clearly stating that all the players still fully support the 47-year-old Dutch manager.
Midfield maestro Wirtz said the Liverpool players still fully support Sloth.
Wirtz was signed by Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen last June for a base transfer fee of £100 million. This 22-year-old German talent had particularly impressive statistics during his time in the Bundesliga, making him a key player for his team. However, in his first season at Liverpool, his form fluctuated considerably. So far, he has scored 6 goals and provided 9 assists in 41 appearances, and hasn’t fully adapted to the Reds’ tactical system.
When asked if the Liverpool players are still willing to fight tooth and nail for Sloot, Wirtz’s tone was particularly firm: “Of course they are. We all believe in the manager, and the whole team should believe in him, after all, he led us to the Premier League title last season.”
“Actually, we haven’t played badly in many games. Although everyone hopes to perform better this season, we can’t be discouraged now. There are still many goals for us to strive for. The players are very resilient, and with a good manager, as long as we work together, we can definitely overcome this difficulty. In this first leg away game, we will give it our all to bring back a good result. When we return to Anfield, the support of the home fans will be our biggest asset.”
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