Arne Slot made his mark at Liverpool by calling out one star for not running enough

Liverpool defender Ibrahim Konate has lauded the job done by Arne Slot at Anfield so far and the Frenchman has revealed how his boss set out his stall early in his tenure

Arne Slot exposed one Liverpool star for not running enough, and delivered brutal honesty to the likes of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk to quickly make his mark at Anfield. Reds ace Ibrahima Konate has revealed his boss demands each player delivers their utmost in every moment – and won’t shy away from calling them out.

The French defender praised the job Slot has done to take on the job from Jurgen Klopp in the summer, and noted that the Dutchman’s personality was present from the outset. Slot replaced Klopp last summer, joining the club immediately following the end of the season from Feyenoord.

After seeing Klopp depart Anfield, few expected Liverpool to hit the ground running in a new era. But Slot has guided his side to within arm’s reach of winning a first Premeir League title in five years.

The 46-year-old coach immediately provided the impression that every movement on the pitch and in training was being watched. Konate believes Slot’s directness and honesty has paid dividends.

“What he has done since the start of the season, it’s unbelievable, especially after Jurgen (Klopp),” the defender said. “He came with a lot of personality. You know, like if you don’t give 2000%…

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“I remember in pre-season, he showed us a lot of clips from the training. He showed a player who didn’t run well or stopped running and he said, ‘You see, you didn’t run now. Why? Because I give you a compliment?’ I will not say the name but he will know. Nothing, he said nothing (about me)! But he said the truth to everyone. Everyone! Mo (Salah), Virgil, every player.

“If something is wrong, ‘You have done it wrong, we are doing it wrong’. I think every player was like oh, he looks at me every day, he looks at me every training session. I have to give 2000% always always, and that’s why we are here today. I hope we keep this position at the end of the season.”

Konate, who joined Liverpool in 2021 from RB Leipzig, also said he’d learned from his defensive partners. And with advice from his captain, Van Dijk, he plans to surpass his team-mate.

“It’s not only about Virgil. It’s about Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, all of these players,” he added. “I think I learned a lot from all of them. But yes, we know with Virgil, how special he is, how good he is, and what he’s been doing for years. For sure, he’s so good.

“I take a few things from him and learn a lot. He gave me a lot of advice when I came to the club. Like I’ve said to him, I just want… I will be better than you one day. That’s why I work very hard every day to achieve this one day.”

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