Andy Robertson realised Arne Slot was the perfect successor to Jurgen Klopp when the Dutchman boldly challenged Liverpool’s players to win the Premier League – before a ball had even been kicked.
During Liverpool’s pre-season tour in the United States, Slot walked into the training ground in Pittsburgh and made his ambitions clear: his primary goal was to surpass Manchester City and Arsenal in the title race.
As Liverpool prepare for the Carabao Cup final – chasing the first silverware of Slot’s reign – his impact is already evident.
This comes just days after their treble hopes were cruelly dashed by a penalty shootout defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
However, the Merseysiders remain firmly in control of the Premier League title race, sitting 15 points clear at the top.
Slot’s refusal to treat his first season at Anfield as a mere transition period has set the tone for Liverpool’s pursuit of success.
Robertson revealed: “When you’re at a club like Liverpool you can’t afford a settling-in period. It’s a massive club that expects to win trophies – and the manager was very clear on that from his first day.
“I remember his first meeting in America and he basically said ‘we finished third last season and the season before, but we now want to finish above the other two.’
“So, in his mind, it was clear that he was coming to win trophies.
“It wasn’t like he’d be happy with the top four. It remains to be seen whether we do win trophies, but he’s put us in helluva good place to try to achieve that.
“When the manager and the coaches took the job, I think their remit was ‘we want to win trophies, we want Liverpool to be successful and not just by finishing in the top four.’ The players could get onboard with that.
“At the same time, the manager came into a changing room and saw players that expect and are hungry to win trophies.
“We got off to a good start and that momentum has carried on, but there’s still nine games to go in the league and we’ve got a lot of work to do.
“But as we sit here today, we’re in a really good spot.”
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