Sloter disappointed as Liverpool lose Carabao Cup final

Newcastle beat Liverpool 2-1 in the Carabao Cup final. Sloter expressed his disappointment in the post-match press conference: "The result is disappointing, the performance is also disappointing. The feeling of this game is completely different to the one against Paris Saint-Germain."

In less than a week, Liverpool have been eliminated from two competitions in a row. After losing to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League round of 16, they suffered another blow in the Carabao Cup final. Slot emphasized that this defeat was not due to physical problems, but the disadvantage in confrontation: "After Tuesday's game, were we mentally or physically tired? No, but this game is not about running, but about confrontation."

"There was no high-intensity running in this game, so it's hard to tell whether we were really exhausted. Newcastle used long balls to bypass our high press, which slowed down the tempo of the game and we couldn't really put pressure on."

Sloter admitted that Newcastle's style of play is their advantage, and Liverpool is difficult to match in this regard: "If we play 10 aerial duels with Newcastle, they may win 9 times. They have more advantages than us in aerial duels and physical confrontations, which is also the key to their ability to score two goals."

When asked if Liverpool were "outclassed" by Newcastle, Sloter's response was intriguing: "They won more duels, is that outclassed? Or is that one of their biggest strengths - winning a lot of aerial duels and physical encounters?"

"If I say 'being suppressed', for me, it should be that the opponent has complete control of the ball. Every time we try to press, they can pass it smoothly and penetrate our defense. In this game, it was more about Newcastle bringing the game into the rhythm they wanted, full of confrontation and high-altitude battles. So, to be fair, they deserved the victory."

"But that doesn't mean we were completely passive. We faced a lot of long balls and second points, which is their strength."

Despite Liverpool's two consecutive defeats, Sloter remained optimistic: "It was a tough week, but we also extended our lead in the league to 12 points, so not everything is negative."