Slot slams Newcastle tactics despite Liverpool win: ‘I’m not too sure if I saw a football match today’

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has criticised the tactics that Newcastle deployed in the Reds’ 3-2 win over the Magpies on Monday night.

Slot’s side were fortunate to get three points against Newcastle despite their opponents being reduced to ten men at the end of the first half.

Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike gave Liverpool a 2-0 lead against the ten men of the Magpies after Anthony Gordon was sent off for a dangerous challenge.

But Eddie Howe’s side rallied to get back on level terms with Bruno Guimaraes and Will Osula’s goals appearing to give Newcastle a share of the spoils.

However, 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha struck ten minutes into injury time with a well-placed finish to give Liverpool all three points and continue their perfect start to the new season.

And Slot hit out at Newcastle’s set-piece and long throw tactics after the match and questioned whether he’d watched a game of football or not.

READ: 16 Conclusions on Newcastle 2-3 Liverpool: Ngumoha, Osula, Ekitike, Konate and Isak

Slot said: “I’m not too sure if I saw a football match today. It was set-piece after set-piece, long throw.

“It didn’t have a lot to do with tactics, what I said before the game, but I liked a lot how we stood strong. Very difficult first half hour, 45 minutes, but we didn’t collapse at all, we stood strong.

“Going down to 10 men, you would expect that that is a big plus for us, but when a goalkeeper takes every free kick, then there’s not so much help if you are one player up, and that’s why it was so difficult for us to bring the 2-0 over the line.”

The Liverpool boss added: “I don’t think there was so much open play to be played.

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“In a set-piece, a long throw-in, a long ball from the goalkeeper, you don’t need an extra man. It’s always nice to have an extra player on hand, but it’s just not as beneficial as if they want to bring the ball out from the back and we can press them. So, yes, with the ball, the one and only attack that was good in the second half, apart from maybe the 2-0, that was the one that led to the goal, which was a great attack.

“And for the first time, we went from right to the middle to the left, and a great goal for a 16-year-old.

“Maybe it wasn’t the best game in terms of tactics or in terms of playing football, but I think every fan everywhere around the world enjoyed watching this game of football, also because their fans were amazing in terms of the help they gave the home team.”