In a passionate clash of the English League Cup, Liverpool beat Southampton by a narrow 2-1 margin away from home, advancing to the last eight with their heads held high. However, behind the scenes of this victory was a unique experience in the stands. Liverpool manager Slater was unable to command the game in person due to suspension and could only act as a spectator, but shared his journey in the post-match press conference.
Slaughter had a few words to say about the experience in the stands, "It was warm and cozy, more comfortable than I thought it would be. Hopefully, it was just a different perspective gained for once because of the stoppage." Speaking about the final stages of the game, Slot recalled the tussle between Jarel Quaanza and Mateusz Fernandez in the penalty area and lamented, "The moment the ball flew over my head, there were no internal ripples, but when the two men collided, the possible refereeing call immediately came to mind. In retrospect, I think the referee had the opportunity to make a different decision. However, he just raised his arm. For me, it wasn't a foul, but the referee's call is always full of uncertainty."
Slotter spoke highly of the big rotation and the performances of Harvey Elliott and Hiromu Endo: "Harvey has shown his impact in the Fulham game and it was a relief to be able to play the whole game and score today. Hikari Endo proved what an exceptional player he is by playing in a number of positions. They both delivered today."
Slotter also emphasized the importance of the youth system: "The club is known for it. We have several players from the youth set-up in our starting line-up and I am immensely proud to see them navigating the Premier League stage. But they have to compete with top players like Salah and Van Dyke to be part of Liverpool."
On Federico Chiesa's performance after coming on as a substitute, Slotter was understanding: "You can't expect too much from a player who is out for five or six months. I've seen his ups and downs and moments of excellence. Getting back to his best won't be easy for him, but it's good to see that he has shown strength today."
Finally, Slaughter explained why he made so many lineup changes: "We trust these players because they have great strength. At the same time, it's also for the long-term fitness of the players, to rest those who have been playing continuously. Such a strategy worked well for us and was enough to help us win the game."
