Steven Gerrard delivers reality check to Arne Slot after Marseille
Steven Gerrard has urged Arne Slot to stop focusing on Liverpool’s struggles against low blocks and instead accept it as a long-standing reality of managing this club.
The Reds’ 3-0 Champions League win away at Marseille eased pressure on our head coach, but his post-match comments about consistency reopened a familiar debate.
Slot again pointed to deep-defending opponents as the primary reason why Liverpool have not produced that level of performance every week.
That framing did not sit comfortably with Gerrard.
Steven Gerrard’s message to Arne Slot
Speaking on TNT Sports and reported by the Daily Mail, the former Liverpool captain made it clear that nothing Slot described was new.
“Low blocks have been happening at Liverpool since I played and many, many years before me,” Gerrard said.
He stressed that opponents being happy to settle for a draw at Anfield is part of the job, not an excuse.
“The key is finding solutions,” the Istanbul hero added.
“You’ve got the players,” he continued, arguing that elite attackers must turn territorial dominance into wins rather than draws.
Slot, however, doubled down on his view after Marseille, explaining that open games allow his side’s tactical qualities to shine.
“If you face a low block, it’s very hard to get pace into the game,” the Dutchman said when comparing matches like Marseille to domestic fixtures.
That honesty has become a recurring theme, and while transparency is often welcomed, Gerrard’s point was about public messaging rather than tactical awareness.
What the numbers say about Liverpool’s form
Statistically, both viewpoints hold weight.
Liverpool are unbeaten in 13 matches in all competitions, the longest current streak across Europe’s top five leagues, according to Opta Analyst.
However, that run includes a heavy concentration of draws, particularly in the Premier League.
Recent results against Sunderland, Leeds (twice), Fulham, Arsenal and Burnley underline a pattern where control has not always translated into goals.
By contrast, when teams engage us, the outcome looks very different.
Marseille offered space, pressed high and were punished, just as Inter Milan were earlier in the campaign.
That contrast explains why Slot believes the issue is structural rather than psychological.
It also explains why Gerrard believes talking about it publicly achieves little.
The tension between analysis and execution has followed Liverpool managers for decades, something that was explored when Slot spoke about scrutiny before Marseille, framing pressure as a constant rather than a crisis.
Phil Thompson recently made a similar point when backing the head coach, warning against confusing frustration with failure.
For Slot, the challenge now is not diagnosing the problem.
It is proving, quietly and consistently, that Liverpool can solve it.
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