Liverpool defeated Accrington Stanley 4-0 at Anfield in the FA Cup but the Lancashire side were able to take away positives from the clash with boss John Doolan paying tribute to Arne Slot
Arne Slot has been hailed for his touching gesture, following Liverpool’s FA Cup win over Accrington Stanley.
Opposition boss John Doolan was full of praise for the Reds’ head coach after he was invited to share a drink following the third round meeting. Stanley fell to a 4-0 defeat following goals from Diogo Jota, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jayden Danns and Federico Chiesa.
Doolan, like much of his side, has a connection to Liverpool. The League Two manager worked at the club earlier in his career, though his bigger affiliation is to Everton as he supports the Toffees.
The 56-year-old also paid tribute to Alexander-Arnold, who he worked with at Anfield, in addition to Slot. The full-back spent a moment with Doolan at full-time.
“I can’t speak highly enough of Arne, a world-class manager, world-class team,” the Accrington Stanley boss said. “He invited me in for a drink and he didn’t have to.
“I coached Trent, not sure he remembers. So I walked across and he came over saying he remembers. Such a wonderful, humble guy. A top player.”
Slot’s offer is not the first that Doolan has appreciated this week. Amidst difficult weather conditions which have seen some matches postponed, Stanley had problems with their usual training facilities.
As a result the Reds stepped up to ensure their opponents could prepare properly. “We trained at the Liverpool Academy this week, we had issues with the weather, so Liverpool offered their facilities,” said Doolan.
“I’m from Kirkby, so to go back and see their facilities, was a brilliant gesture from them to be honest.”
Despite the 4-0 scoreline, it was an enjoyable day out for Doolan’s side. The full-time whistle saw his players swap shirts with the Premier League side and the 4,700 travelling supporters in attendance showed their appreciation
“It was fantastic to see,” Doolan said. “That is what football is about, it brings people together.
“For us to put on a show and try to frustrate Liverpool, we asked a couple of questions ourselves with the crossbar, we had a few shots, corners. On another day, maybe lady luck and the magic of the cup, but they are a world class team and they got through.”
“I have just said to the lads, I couldn’t be prouder of them,” he added. “For the young lads now, that is what they have to aspire to be and get to.
“It has just been an unbelievable week, you want more of that but it starts with a lot of hard work, on and off the pitch. They will try to get there and reach those levels.”
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