Arne Slot will not hold a pre-match press conference ahead of Liverpool’s Carabao Cup clash with Crystal Palace, continuing a similar trend from earlier this season.
Liverpool supporters have become accustomed to hearing from their manager before and after every fixture – and during Jurgen Klopp‘s reign, often his No. 2 before cup ties.
But that will not be the case on Tuesday, with the club declining an opportunity for an open briefing with the press before the visit of Palace.
Per Carabao Cup rules clubs are not obliged to hold a pre-match press conference, with it simply required that at least one player and the head coach be made available for interviews if the fixture is selected for broadcast.
Wednesday’s fourth-round clash will be shown live on Sky Sports and therefore Slot can be expected to hold a lengthy Q&A with one of their reporters.
Cup rules remove press conference obligations
Liverpool also declined a pre-match press conference before the third-round victory over Southampton, with Slot among those instead travelling to Paris to attend the Ballon d’Or ceremony.
There are no such alternative plans this time around however, with it simply the case that, as the club are not required to hold one, they have chosen not to.
It is important to note that this is no indication of an internal issue despite Liverpool’s poor form under Slot at present.
Saturday’s 3-2 defeat away to Brentford was their fourth in a row in the Premier League and their fifth in six games in all competitions.
The decision not to hold a press conference could be viewed as removing any further distractions with a focus on preparations for a must-win tie, but it may also send negative optics of the head coach avoiding the media.
In years gone by, Carabao Cup previews gave supporters an opportunity to hear from Pepijn Lijnders – Klopp’s long-serving assistant.
Lijnders’ press conferences were always engaging and extremely insightful, offering a different perspective than the manager’s usual briefings with a heavier emphasis on tactics and developing talent.
Many had expected Slot’s new assistant Giovanni van Bronckhorst to front media duties prior to the Southampton tie but that did not transpire and the same decision has been made for Tuesday.
Liverpool will still work at the AXA Training Centre as usual and their sessions in the buildup to Wednesday’s 7.45pm kickoff could provide hints as to those involved.
Right-back Calvin Ramsay could be among those considered given Jeremie Frimpong‘s injury and the likelihood of rotation for what is still considered a fourth-priority competition.
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