Troy Deeney defends Arne Slot after what he did in Liverpool defeat v Fulham
Liverpool lost their second league game of the season in a 3-2 defeat at Fulham on Sunday.
Although Arne Slot has had an excellent first season in Merseyside, they have recently faced their toughest period with some big defeats.
After returning from international duty, the Reds looked to be back on track with a victory against Everton, but that may not be the case after defeat at Craven Cottage.
Troy Deeney defends Slot decision
Liverpool have been a dominant force in the Premier League throughout this season, and although they had the majority of possession against Fulham, the statistics in front of the goal were fairly even.
| Team | Possession | Shots | Shots on target |
| Fulham | 37% | 12 | 6 |
| Liverpool | 63% | 14 | 6 |
Given the Merseyside outfit sits comfortably at the top of the table, it could be a level of complacency creeping in with players feeling like the job is done.
However, there have also been suggestions that the players in Slot’s side are simply tired, with many of them having played the majority of games throughout the season so far.
However, Troy Deeney was not a fan of suggestions that a lack of rotation was harming Slot now.
Speaking live on talkSPORT (7 April, 7:13 am), he said: “We talk about the lack of rotation, I love that though. They’re on a winning run, just keep playing the best team.
“We see Arsenal now, they rotated at the weekend. I’m not saying they would have gone and caught them with nine points being adrift of Liverpool, but they could have put the pressure on. Too many teams now just rotating, looking ahead. Chelsea doing it as well at the weekend.
“I think he should be commended for just sticking with the team, and if he gets over the line, which it looks like they’re going to do, we should say to him fair play because when he did change in the FA Cup, they lost and everyone battered him for it.”
Slot looking for Liverpool dominance
As Deeney says, Slot did try rotating his squad before, and it didn’t pay off with the Reds being knocked out of the FA Cup at Plymouth.
Furthermore, after an international break, it’s probably not the time for players to be complaining about fitness and too many games. These are people at the top level who should be able to cope.
However, there is bound to have been some dip in the mood at Anfield with losses in the Champions League and Carabao Cup before the break, leaving little left to play for this season.
If the Reds were able to sort out their outstanding contract situations, which Virgil van Dijk has suggested have started to move, then we could see a boost on both the pitch and in the stands.
If Slot is going to take this side forward to have a real period of dominance in the Premier League, he has to ensure his players are able to perform at the top levels throughout the whole campaign.