Yeah," Slot said.


"Not this season, by the way. This season, they will have their opinion, and they will not change. But if we can have the summer that we are planning to have, then I'm 100 per cent convinced that we will be a different team next season than we are now.

"Different in terms of results, different in how things look. But it's not always that simple, because sometimes you know what you have to do, but it's not always possible to also get exactly what you want. But for us, for me, it's really clear what we are lacking this season.

"And we are trying, because one of the things we are lacking is players who are fit. But the players that we have available now, I think, again, like last week, showed in the second half that they want to give everything and try to push.

"But it was not enough last week, and it wasn't enough this week to find that goal, which we maybe deserved if you looked at where the game was played.

"Because for me, the game was mainly played in their half, and that is what we have seen a lot of times this season. But we have also seen a lot of times this season that being the dominant team doesn't lead to chance after chance after chance."

Slot's decision to substitute Rio Ngumoha was booed
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Slot's decision to substitute Rio Ngumoha was booed
Slot's decision to substitute 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha was also met with boos from the Anfield crowd. Speaking to TNT Sports, the Liverpool boss said he was forced into the decision as Ngumoha felt a "problem in his muscles".

Asked to clarify if Ngumoha was injured, Slot told press after the game:


"He had a cramp perhaps three minutes before that, and then I had contact with him, and he said that it wasn't an option [to continue].

"It makes complete sense if you take a player off who is playing well, an assist, that people don't expect you to take that player off, which wasn't my intention to do.

"He's a good player, but I don't think he's at the level yet to play at 60 or 50 per cent to then make a difference. But maybe the fans have a different opinion. They think that he would have been able to play at this level at 50 per cent or 60 or whatever percentage, but not being fit enough anymore to sprint and to make your actions.

"So, yeah, if you don't know that and you feel like, why did you take him off? Then I understand that reaction. I knew at the moment his number went up that that would have been the reaction. But that's not a reason not to do it and keep a player within the team who tells me he cannot continue.

"And after the game, I think it also makes sense because I don't think this club should be happy with a 1-1 result against Chelsea. We always aim for a win, and then we don't win. Then we're disappointed, and especially in a season where we haven't won a lot or not as much as people expect us to do. It's just building up frustration, and that came out probably after half-time."

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