Arne Slot points finger at the dark art threatening to become a Premier League plague

Liverpool manager Arne Slot agrees with Manchester City star Ruben Dias who laid into Premier League opponents for their tactics and calls for authorities to find an answer

Arne Slot has named the dark-art tactic that he sees as the one BIG blight on the Premier League. After winning the title in a canter, the Liverpool boss decided to get his one main frustration off his chest.

Slot conceded that some teams had skilfully adapted their game-plans to counter his team’s strengths but in the eleven matches in which Liverpool dropped points – they have drawn eight and lost three of their 36 Premier League games – the Dutchman firmly believes they have often been the victims of a practice that has become endemic in the competition. Time-wasting.

The Liverpool coach explained: “Teams got to know us better and tried to find answers to our playing style. But one of the things you cannot do anything about is that tactics are being used that have nothing to do with football.

“Delaying the start of the game, pretending you are injured, taking one minute for a free-kick, one minute for a throw-in. That is my main worry.

“Every time we drop points, that happened… goalkeepers taking one and a half minutes. When we have dropped points, that tactic was used. I like to say it now after us winning the league, not losing a game.”

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The issue of time-wasting has clearly rankled with Slot but he has been biding his time to air his annoyance with a practice that seems to be getting increasingly prevalent. And while he did not necessarily agree with the timing of his comments – after a goalless draw at rock-bottom Southampton – Slot knew where Ruben Dias was coming from when he criticised the approach of the home side at St Mary’s.

Slot said: “Ruben Dias said something about it too, which is not always the best moment to say it after dropping points. But for me he was right.

“Southampton can do what they want but I think we as a league must find an answer. People always tell you the Premier League is so intense, so intense!

“But there are tactics to slow the game down. I don’t wake up during the night but if I did I might be like … ’S***! There’s no answer to be found to that type of play.’”

Slot’s champions face Brighton on Monday night and the Liverpool boss will be an interested viewer when Manchester United and Spurs meet in the Europa League final in Bilbao on Wednesday. And Slot feels that with Champions League clubs no longer being parachuted into the lesser competition after the qualifying stages, English domination of that level could become a common theme.

He said: “I wouldn’t be surprised if in the upcoming years the Conference League and the Europa League finals will be dominated by English teams. Because in the past you could go as the number two of Italy or the number two of Spain and you could go back to the Europa League or to the Conference League level.

“But now it’s always the number four of Spain or the number five of Spain that has to play the number four or five or six of England. And I think England has a, money-wise, a big, big, big difference between the number five of Spain and the number five or six of England.”

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