David James tells Arne Slot the one route that can save Liverpool’s season
The picture around Liverpool has looked very different depending on which part of the season people choose to focus on.
David James on how Liverpool can save the season
As reported by BBC Sport, former goalkeeper David James argued that this campaign should not be written off despite our slump in league form.
He pushed back strongly at talk of a crisis, saying: “Not winning the title doesn’t make it a bad season,” and emphasised that “Liverpool do not recruit for one season, they recruit for the future.”
The ex-England international felt the priority now is simple. “The test for Arne Slot as manager is whether he can turn this around,” he said.
“But not winning the title this season doesn’t make it a bad season. The Champions League now becomes more important and winning it would justify everything this season.”
Those words land at a moment when the reigning champions sit 11th and have suffered six defeats in seven Premier League matches.
Our home loss to Nottingham Forest was historically damaging, as Forest became only the fourth visiting team to win at Anfield by three or more goals, underlining how badly we performed.
Yet James’ broader point is that we still have two major cup competitions open in front of us.
We occupy eighth place in the Champions League standings, a position that would send us straight into the next phase without a qualifying tie.
We were Opta’s favourites to win the competition at the start of the campaign and now are being backed to finish in fifth position in the league phase.
The FA Cup will also give squad players a real opportunity to force their way into the starting picture.
With the physical intensity of the Premier League proving difficult for us at the moment, these cup competitions may suit a group that have technical ability in abundance.
Why cup progress matters now for Liverpool and Slot
Jamie Carragher has already suggested that our boss is fixated on achieving something special in Europe, even recalling a conversation that hinted at how much the Dutchman values that tournament.
That observation fits neatly with the comments from David James on European ambitions, especially his belief that lifting a trophy other than the Premier League would “justify everything this season.”
A top-five finish in the Premier League remains essential because Champions League qualification still matters enormously.
But the message from the ex-Red is that this season can still end with purpose and pride if we embrace the competitions where momentum remains firmly in our hands.
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The post David James tells Arne Slot the one route that can save Liverpool’s season appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.