Arne Slot: Liverpool boss believes style of play is worth more than winning trophies in the long term at Anfield

Arne Slot believes style of play and entertaining fans is "worth more" than winning trophies in the long term at Liverpool.

Slot enjoyed an impressive start to life at Anfield after securing the Premier League title in his first season, but has failed to replicate the same successes this term, with Liverpool currently sat in sixth, 14 points behind leaders Arsenal.

The Reds spent £450m in the summer to bolster their title-winning squad, but a disappointing campaign so far means their chances of securing silverware this term now hinge on the FA Cup or Champions League.

• Transfer Centre LIVE! | Liverpool news & transfers?
• Liverpool fixtures & scores | FREE Liverpool PL highlights▶️
• Got Sky? Watch Liverpool games LIVE on your phone?
• Not got Sky? Get Sky Sports or stream with no contract on NOW?

Liverpool face Manchester City, live on Sky Sports this Sunday, in their next chance to showcase Slot's long-term vision of the "nicest" football possible at Anfield.

"As a manager, you can win the league, Champions League, the FA Cup or the League Cup but the biggest thing you can win is that you can play the nicest football to watch," Slot said while speaking on The Reds Roundtable podcast, which can be watched in full on Liverpool's YouTube channel.

"Although, at this moment in time, fans might argue a little bit. It is absolutely something that I am aiming for.

"I always want to have the ball, I want it to be intense and want the fans to like what they see.

"Not all of our fans see it as a joy to watch and the hardest thing is I even understand, I agree with them.

"Trophies is one thing but being a team, club or a manager that stands for good football, is in the long-term worth more."

O'Hara: Slot has to go if Liverpool miss out on Champions League

After seeing their hopes of becoming back-to-back league champions derailed, despite spending £450m in the summer, Liverpool are now fighting to qualify for Europe's elite competition, with Chelsea one point ahead in fifth and Manchester United two ahead in fourth.

If Liverpool were to miss out on Champions League qualification, Jamie O'Hara believes Slot's future at the club would be at risk.

"I think he is coming under pressure. If they are not in the Champions League, Arne Slot has to go," O'Hara said on Sky Sports News.

On Slot's comments about style of playing being more important than winning trophies, O'Hara added: "Absolutely not, I don't know what he is on about. It's all about winning trophies.

"You cannot win trophies by playing bad football. I am not sure what he is on about.

"He is talking about his team playing good football and they are not. They are boring to watch and teams have figured them out.

"If you are talking about good football, give me Jurgen Klopp. That was rock and roll football - and they won trophies!"

Carra: Slot's job at risk if Liverpool don't qualify for Champions League

Jamie Carragher echoed O'Hara's comments on Slot's future if the club did miss out on Champions League football for next season.

Speaking on Monday Night Football, Carragher said: "If you don't qualify for the Champions League, having won the league the season before and spent as much as Liverpool, I don't think you've got a leg to stand on.

"The real worry I have for Liverpool in terms of qualifying for the Champions League is the three big things that stand out in the Premier League now are set-pieces, counter-attacking football and coming up against low blocks.

"Liverpool can't cope with any of them. What we're seeing is a team in the Premier League that's not suited to the Premier League.

"Once you start seeing what Manchester United and Chelsea have done in the last couple of weeks, you start seeing that Liverpool could actually finish outside the Champions League positions. I really fear for them.

"Once you start fearing Champions League qualification for next season, that's when I think we've got a completely different proposition when we're talking about the manager's job. That, for me, is completely different.

"If we're talking about not winning the league or challenging for the league, that is a collective responsibility, and Liverpool don't win the league every year.

"Not making the Champions League from [being] champions, spending £450m and having the highest wage bill in the Premier League, which is normally the biggest determining factor over where you finish in the league, I think you've got serious questions to ask."

(c) Sky Sports 2026: Arne Slot: Liverpool boss believes style of play is worth more than winning trophies in the long term at Anfield