Arne Slot insists he retains full FSG backing after torrid Liverpool run

Arne Slot insists he retains the full support of the Fenway Sports Group hierarchy as the Liverpool boss aims to end a run of four straight Premier League defeats. The champions were five points clear at the top before a setback at Crystal Palace in late September was followed by reverses to Chelsea, Manchester United and Brentford.

Further losses to Galatasaray in the Champions League and then Palace again in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday means Slot's side host Aston Villa this weekend on a run of six defeats in seven.

And the Reds could find themselves 10 points behind current leaders Arsenal by the time Unai Emery's in-form men arrive at Anfield on Saturday evening (8pm kick-off).

Slot, though, says the conversations he has had with sporting director Richard Hughes and FSG's CEO of football, Michael Edwards, haven't changed during the torrid run.

"For me they say similar things," the Liverpool head coach said. "I speak mainly to Richard and once in a while to the others (Edwards and FSG). They also see similar things as what I see.

"For me the conversations haven’t changed a lot. We always talk about the game and it’s always nicer to talk about the game if you have won than if you have lost.

"[I feel supported] not only in this period but also when things go well.

"I'm a firm believer all the squads I had were 20/21 players that can play because if you have too many it's already a struggle to make a squad. But then you have to keep them fit."

Slot added: "Tell me if I’m wrong but I think during the week [the reaction] was about when I said something about the squad we are having, and that could have been seen as criticising or an excuse?

"What I meant was, if these players are all fit we have so much quality. This club is in such a good place when you look at the quality we have for the short-term future and the long-term future.

"But – I’ve used Alex (Alexander Isak) as an example but I don’t want to go into every single player because players sometimes don’t like it when they are named as being fit or not – not all of them were ready from the start to play three games in seven days.

"And then when you get four injuries like we have at the moment, it is a struggle going into a programme like this. I used this to explain my line-up on Wednesday. I didn’t use it as an excuse for losing against Brentford or the loss before or the loss before.

"I did it because Ibou (Ibrahima Konate) and Virgil (van Dijk) had to play a lot. Joe Gomez missed out on the whole of pre-season. Macca (Alexis Mac Allister) missed out on the whole of pre-season.

"Alex missed out on the whole of pre-season. If you have 20 but three are not available, and that 20 includes Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni who are youngsters and not able to play three games in a week as well, then the focus is on the 15 others, and maybe not all of them are used to a Premier League [or] Champions League game every three days.

"By the way, it would also have been difficult even for the team of last season if we had to play three in seven days, which is the worst scenario you can have.

"I only used it to explain my line-up, not as an excuse for losing against Brentford or Manchester United. We have an unbelievable squad if they are all fit and all ready for the programme we are facing."

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