‘Set-piece after set-piece, not football’, Slot slams Newcastle’s tactics

Liverpool manager, Arne Slot, has slammed Newcastle United’s tactics after his side edged a dramatic 3-2 Premier League victory at St James’ Park on Monday night.

The Dutchman, reacting to a stop-start encounter littered with fouls and set-plays, said he was “not too sure he saw a football match.”

The game, which produced a 100th-minute winner from 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha, saw Newcastle battle back from 2-0 down despite being reduced to 10 men.

But Opta statistics revealed the ball was only in play for 40.8% of the contest, the lowest in the league since February 2010.

Slot, unimpressed by the spectacle, told Sky Sports: “It was set-piece after set-piece, long throws. It didn’t have a lot to do with tactics. But I liked how we stood strong.”

The match was played out against the backdrop of Alexander Isak’s desire to leave Newcastle for Liverpool, which contributed to a feisty atmosphere inside the stadium.

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That translated onto the pitch, with Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon shown a red card for a rash challenge on Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk shortly before half-time.

There were 32 fouls in total, the most in a Premier League game so far this season.

Slot said, “It was a very difficult first half hour, 45 minutes. We didn’t collapse at all and went 1-0 up.

“Newcastle going down to 10 men, you would expect is a big plus for us but when a goalkeeper takes every free-kick, there is not much hope [benefit] if you are one player up. That’s why it was so difficult to bring the 2-0 over the line.”

On his part, England forward Anthony Gordon has apologised for his dismissal after a reckless challenge on Van Dijk with his side 1-0 down, saying his “intentions were pure”.

In a post on social media, the 24-year-old said: “I was just trying to create energy in the game and I mistimed the tackle.

“I also want to apologise to Virgil. I would never intend to tackle somebody like this on purpose. We spoke after and he knows that.

“More importantly, I’m proud of the time I spent on the pitch and how we played. The atmosphere from you all is what makes St James’ Park so special.

“I love everything we stand for as a club, and no more than right now. I’ll be back and better, the same as every other setback I’ve faced.”

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