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Christopher Nolan is "haunted" by the most celebrated line from his acclaimed Batman follow-up The Dark Knight. "You either die a hero or live long enough to become the villain." It was one of the few lines the director didn't pen himself — that credit goes to his brother. "It kills me," he reflected years later.
Deep down, it will undoubtedly sting Arne Slot to see his Liverpool reign captured so precisely by that legendary quote.
The Dutchman's calamitous second season has been shaped by his side's failure to counter the adjustments made by opponents who were dismantled by Liverpool during Slot's debut campaign. The Premier League-winning manager has emerged as a vocal purist, lamenting the prevalence of low blocks, long balls and set pieces being thrown at his team, which is simply trying to play attractive football.
After a rare victory over Barnsley in the FA Cup earlier this year, Slot couldn't conceal his frustration. The third-tier outfit had the audacity to alter their tactics in an attempt to get one over on Liverpool. Imagine that.
"We've played 30 games this season and I'd say 28 of my prematch meetings, I could just throw in the bin," he fumed.
Facing defending European champions Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday evening, it was Slot's turn to adopt the role of the underdog, shifting Liverpool into a back-five for just the second time throughout his entire spell at the club. It was the ultimate concession of inferiority, played out in full view during a one-sided 2–0 defeat.
Slot's explanation of his approach was even more telling than the tactics themselves.
Slot: Liverpool Are in Survival Mode
To say Liverpool failed to lay a glove on PSG would be an understatement. They never even got close to lacing up. The Reds managed just three off-target efforts across the entire match — and none whatsoever in the opening half. Any concerns about the formidable French champions rested on the shaky displays of goalkeeper Matvey Safonov, yet the Russian stopper was barely tested all night.
"We were in survival mode for large parts of the game. But maybe also in the period of the season where we were in survival mode," Slot bluntly admitted.
Having been torn apart by Manchester City in the FA Cup on Saturday, that cautious approach was perhaps understandable. "PSG was the better team," he continued. "But we didn't give up and that's why we have a chance now still in this tie." At least Liverpool showed commitment for the full 90 minutes — which marks some form of progress.
Slot had anticipated how the match would unfold in advance, which is why he kept Mohamed Salah firmly on the bench. "In the last part of the game it was more about surviving us than having a chance," the Dutch boss explained.
"I think this was a 20–25 minutes where we only defending and Mo has so many qualities, but to be 20–25 minutes defending in his own box, I think it is better for him to save his energy for games coming up.
"Because they kept us alive by not scoring a few open chances. And now we can bring the tie back to Anfield. Not unfortunately, but in between there's still a very important game to be played for us against Fulham. Just in terms of the system, you've not used it before."
Luis Enrique Offers Patronizing Defense of Slot
Different level. pic.twitter.com/VWf4ujC27d
PSG coach Luis Enrique admitted to Canal+ after the final whistle that he had not anticipated seeing Liverpool in an unfamiliar shape. "It's a surprise because it's the first time Arne Slot has played with three at the back this year," he shrugged. "It showed that they're changing and trying something new, which is normal." However, as he acknowledged: "We're used to opponents adapting to us, so no worries."
Fully aware of the formidable threat his own side presents, the Spanish coach had no criticism for his counterpart. "Arne Slot is a great coach," Enrique insisted to TNT Sports — a view some Liverpool supporters have surely begun to question. "It's the first time that they played with five at the back but we are used to other teams all the time changing their formation to play against us. It's normal.
"They played a great match. It was difficult. Physically, they are very strong. A lot of quality players.
"It was a very nice match. It's always a pleasure playing against Arne Slot teams because they try to play football in an offensive way. It was nice to watch."
"We are going to suffer," Enrique predicted ahead of the second leg, though his comments appeared to be rooted more in respect for the venue than confidence in what Liverpool's players would produce. "Anfield is a special stadium," he cautioned.
Liverpool Legends Tear Team Apart
Jamie Carragher was visibly appalled by what he had witnessed. "That was like watching a team from a lower division," the former Champions League winner with the Reds declared on CBS Sports. "The gulf in class was very worrying from a Liverpool point of view."
The tactical switch was a particular source of frustration for Carragher. "The manager has tried something but he's got it massively wrong tactically, how he went about it," the retired Liverpool icon argued. "They were actually more exposed with the back five than they would have been with a back four because they went man-to-man all over the pitch and the three center backs were forced to cover the full width of the field.
"Watching Virgil van Dijk tonight in the middle of the back three..." Carragher, a former center back himself, lamented. "Normally, when you reach a certain age, you think, middle of a back three, that's ideal for me — everyone's in position, you get a bit of cover in your back five.
"This was different.
"Defenders were charging into midfield. There was no one to mark. And Van Dijk, at 34 years of age, was having to sprint across and cover ground. He simply couldn't manage it.
"People have criticized Van Dijk this season for his performances and I think it's been unfair. He plays every game. The player beside him has been poor all season and was below par again tonight — [Ibrahima] Konaté. He makes an error every game. That's not easy to play alongside. I actually think Van Dijk has been one of Liverpool's better performers this season, but tonight in that back three, I have never seen him look so uncomfortable in a Liverpool shirt in my life.
"I think he will be begging Arne Slot to never use that system again because he found it so incredibly difficult."
Steven Gerrard was not quite as damning, pointing to Liverpool's ability to frustrate PSG "for large periods of the game." Yet he had no answer for a "toothless" attacking display.
"Marquinhos [PSG's captain at center back] has had the easiest game of the season," Gerrard sighed on TNT Sports' coverage. "He's hardly done anything today. It's going to take a huge performance for Liverpool to turn this around next week."
Slot dismissed the notion that his tactical setup was the central issue. "It's completely fine with me if everyone wants to focus on the tactics," the combative Dutch boss said. "But for me that's absolutely not the story of the game today. Every tactic has been tried over here. But the result is always the same." When the narrative is as unflattering as the one Liverpool produced on Wednesday night, it's little wonder Slot has no desire to see it retold.