Arne Slot has taken umbrage with the English football calendar (Image: Liverpool FC)
Liverpool manager Arne Slot has followed Jurgen Klopp's lead by appealing to the FA over the fixture schedule after injuries marred their 1-0 win at Crystal Palace. Slot's team cemented their position at the summit of the Premier League on Saturday thanks to Diogo Jota's decider.
However, the triumph saw key players Alexis Mac Allister and Alisson withdrawn due to injuries suffered in south London. After negotiating seven matches in a 21-day marathon - averaging a game every three days - Slot shared his exasperation in a fashion reminiscent of former Reds manager Klopp.
Klopp never shied away from voicing his displeasure over Liverpool's packed schedule, particularly when faced with an early Saturday game following mid-week engagements. Now Slot is getting acquainted with the ruthless pace of English football after his team travelled to Palace less than 72 hours after beating Bologna in the Champions League.
Speaking to BBC Sport (via The Mirror), Slot said: "Maybe this is something the FA should look at. If you play Wednesday evening, why do we have an early kick-off in an away game? Or they have to look at me and rotate all my players. Maybe it is also bad luck, I don't know."
England's football format has long sparked debate, with Manchester City's Rodri hinting at players potentially striking due to the overwhelming football schedule across the globe. The Spaniard has taken a leaf out of Klopp's book after the German was consistently one of the most vocal critics of the congested calendar.
Addressing the issue in September 2023, Klopp commented: "We have four international breaks until March, and on two of them we have the 12.30pm kick-off. If I say one word about it again the whole world goes, 'He's starting to moan again,' but it's a joke - we have players in South America that I haven't seen yet, and we play in 24 hours. It's a joke."
Alisson is looking at "a few weeks" on the sidelines after his injury at Selhurst Park (Image: Getty Images)
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It was towards the end of Klopp's time at Anfield that he aimed another dig at England's football bodies earlier this year, slamming the fixture planning as "absolutely insane." He also suggested having Liverpool play a schedule of "Thursday, Sunday, Wednesday, Saturday 12.30 is a crime."
Slot appeared to downplay the effect of the early Saturday game prior to the match. However, the harsh reality of two major injury blows may have forced a change of tune.
The ex-Feyenoord boss still has a long way to go before he's quite as combative as Klopp in his quest to bring about change. Liverpool have had better luck in early kick-offs after previously struggling for results in that particular bracket, but there are early indications Slot too may grow to dislike this facet of the English game.
