Arne Slot has insisted Liverpool should have no issues with the lunchtime kick-off in the Premier League, joking he would be a “stupid manager” if they did as that is when his side train.
Slot’s predecessor Jurgen Klopp regularly hit out at the scheduling for televised matches and how often Liverpool were given the 12:30pm slot on a Saturday, particularly away from home.
The Reds began their Premier League season on the road against Ipswich in the early kick-off and they get this weekend’s action underway on Saturday with a trip to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace.
It leaves Slot and his players with a tight turnaround, after they beat Bologna on Wednesday night in the Champions League, but the Dutchman played down any concerns over the kick-off time.
“I think the league I come from, they are more aware and try to help teams in Europe,” Slot said at his press conference on Friday.
“But to be fair to English FA our schedule is tight so it is difficult. It has a lot to do with TV stations, it feels like I do an interview every day. I think they can pick a team for 12:30pm, so they choose Liverpool.
“People talk about 12:30pm, we talk about difficult away games. If 12:30pm was a difficult time to perform then I am a stupid manager because I train every day at midday!"
It has been a positive start to Slot’s time in the Liverpool dugout, with the club sitting top of the Premier League after six matches.
The Dutchman has, though, had to regularly contend with questions over the futures of three of his first-team stars, with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk all out of contract at the end of the season.
Asked for an update ahead of the trip to Palace, Slot laughed: “Contracts?!
“I was hoping you didn't use that word. It's the same boring answer as always and I could really understand if you ask me this every two weeks but every other day.
“People think I am boring with the same answer. Try asking after the international break.”
