Arne Slot had an ominous message after watching his Liverpool team swat Tottenham aside to power into the Carabao Cup final – they feel no fatigue and are only getting stronger. Liverpool won 4-0 on the night at Anfield for a 4-1 aggregate triumph to set up a Wembley final against Newcastle on Sunday 16 March.
“There are two reasons why we become stronger,” the Liverpool manager said. “First of all, if you play more often together you know better what is expected. So the first time I tell them how to bring the ball out from the back against a 7-9-11 press, they were maybe like: ‘OK.’ But the more times you face them, the more it becomes natural for you.
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“The more games you play, the more team meetings you have, the more training sessions you have, the better they know what we expect from them and what to expect from each other.
“Second of all, I believe in the fact that the more games you play the physically stronger you become. Some people think you get tired but as long as you manage it well, the players will get stronger by playing a lot of games instead of getting tired.”
Liverpool were remorseless against a Spurs team who were unable to show who they were, to play with any aggression or personality. The visitors managed only five shots – none of them on target. “Tottenham are always able to score a lot and create a lot,” Slot said. “That they didn’t tells you a lot about our work rate. We showed our mentality from the first to the last second.”
Ange Postecoglou continues to live under immense pressure; a route to silverware now closed off, his team struggling in 14th place in the Premier League. “We didn’t give ourselves a chance to take the opportunity which is probably more disappointing,” the Spurs manager said. “I would have liked us to play more like who we are. There is a lesson in there for us that if we veer away from that it almost becomes impossible for us.
“I think they understood the opportunity. When the reality of it out there hits you, it’s a bit different to maybe what you envisioned in your head. Our intent was to play the same way we play every week. We were trying to put pressure on them and unsettle them but it never really materialised. We didn’t have conviction when we had the ball either, which allowed them to get control of the game.”
