Slot backs Liverpool signings: 'It takes time'

Arne Slot is confident Liverpool will improve in the second half of the season and has backed the club's summer signings to continue getting better.

The Premier League champions sit fourth in the table ahead of Thursday's clash with Leeds United and are unbeaten in seven games in all competitions.

After a turbulent few months, Liverpool are slowly rediscovering their form, with summer additions Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike central to their resurgence.

Asked whether he thinks the likes of Wirtz and Ekitike can improve in the second half of the campaign, Slot said: "Yeah, yeah, for sure. That's not only for the new players.

"If you bring in a lot of new players and a lot of players leave, usually at least if I do my job well, they will play better football the longer they are here and when they have more training time and playing time.

"You saw this last season because that team was here the year before all the same with Jürgen [Klopp]. In the first half of last season we played very good football. That is helpful.

"History has shown many times the longer players play together the bigger chance you have of winning something. If you add players to what you have, there is a serious chance of improving. If you replace, like we have done, then it takes time. And usually it gets better after a certain period of time.

"Unfortunately Giovanni Leoni we won't see him this season and Alex [Isak] will take a long time before we see him again. You can do the numbers of how much money that is, combined with how much we have sold, that is maybe an interesting story to make."

While Liverpool's results are improving, the Reds have had to endure nervy endings to each of their last two games, against Tottenham Hotspur and Wolves respectively.

Reflecting on whether his team can manage games better going forwards, Slot said: "It tells you how important goals are in a low-scoring sport. A goal can change momentum which is what we saw last week and [on Saturday].

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"In both games, until the moment we conceded it was the performance you would like from a Liverpool team. We did not score our first two chances. Goals have a massive impact on the momentum of a game. That is what has been shown in the last two games of ours.

"One way of game management is the ability to make substitutions. Last year when we were one goal up, a lot of times I brought Wataru Endo in. I have already said, I don't know if anyone notices it but we miss quite a lot of players. That is why it is so special that the players that are fit bring these results."