LEGENDS AT ODDS: Steven Gerrard Issues Stern Warning to Arne Slot Despite Marseille Masterclass
By 247sportcity | Thursday, January 22, 2026
MARSEILLE, FRANCE – In the glitzy, high-stakes arena of the UEFA Champions League, victory usually buys a manager a reprieve from criticism. However, for Arne Slot, even a dominant 3-0 demolition of Olympique de Marseille wasn’t enough to silence the scrutinizing voices of Anfield royalty. While the result in France provided a rare moment of “comfort” in what has been a turbulent 2025/26 campaign, the post-match discourse was dominated by a sharp tactical disagreement between the current Liverpool boss and club icon Steven Gerrard.
Standing as a pundit for TNT Sports, Gerrard celebrated the win but fired a direct warning to the Dutch coach regarding his public narrative. The point of contention? Slot’s persistent obsession with the “low block.”
The Tactical Picnic: Why Marseille Suited Slot
The 3-0 victory at the Stade Vélodrome was a showcase of Slot’s preferred footballing philosophy. Marseille, under the guidance of a progressive coaching staff, opted to meet Liverpool head-on. They pressed high, maintained an expansive shape, and afforded the Reds “open green grass” to exploit. For a Liverpool side struggling for rhythm in domestic competition, it was a tactical picnic.
However, the ease of the win only served to highlight Liverpool’s ongoing “Kryptonite” in the Premier League. Just days prior, Anfield was a scene of frustration as Burnley ground out a gritty 1-1 draw using a disciplined, deep-sitting defensive structure—the dreaded “low block.” That result prompted boos from the Kop, yet Slot strangely praised Burnley’s approach, leading to a narrative that he finds the tactical puzzle of defensive teams nearly impossible to solve.
Slot’s Confession: The “Inconsistency” Defense
Speaking after the Marseille triumph, Slot was candid—perhaps too candid for Gerrard’s liking—about why his side swings so wildly between brilliance and mediocrity.
“I know why we’re not consistent and that is mainly to do when a game is open, it is completely different than playing against a low block,” Slot told TNT Sports. “You cannot compare that with the game tonight when both teams want to press and play out from the back. If we’re inconsistent, it’s because we struggle with low blocks.”
For Slot, the admission was an exercise in honesty. For the fans and pundits, it sounded like an admission of a tactical ceiling.
[Table: The Tale of Two Tactics — Liverpool’s 2026 Struggle]
The disparity in Liverpool’s performance levels is starkly tied to how their opponents choose to set up their defensive lines.
| Opposition Style | Recent Result | Key Statistic | Slot’s Verdict |
| Progressive (Marseille) | 3-0 Win | 68% Possession / 9 Shots on Target | “Perfect conditions” |
| Low Block (Burnley) | 1-1 Draw | 24 Crosses / 1 Goal | “We struggle here” |
| Low Block (Everton) | 0-1 Loss | 0 Big Chances Created | “Difficult to break” |
Gerrard Fires Back: “He Needs to Stop”
Steven Gerrard, a man who spent nearly two decades navigating every tactical hurdle imaginable in a red shirt, was not buying the excuse. While Gerrard was quick to offer “praise and credit” for the victory in France, he fretted over Slot’s public fixation on defensive setups.
“He needs to stop mentioning low blocks,” Gerrard countered with an air of frustration. “Low blocks have been happening against Liverpool since I was playing. That’s just the way it is. When you play for a club this size, teams are going to sit in. It’s not a new phenomenon; it’s the standard requirement of the job to find a way through them.”
Gerrard’s concern is rooted in the psychological impact of such comments. By repeatedly labeling low blocks as a major struggle, Slot may be inadvertently giving future opponents a blueprint on how to frustrate his team. If a legendary captain like Gerrard sees it as an excuse, there are fears the players might start to believe it too.
“I Find It Hard” — Slot Shuts Down Jamie Carragher
If Gerrard was the “bad cop” in the punditry studio, Jamie Carragher attempted to play the tactical analyst over on CBS Sports. However, Slot was in no mood to be lectured by another Liverpool legend.
When Carragher questioned the myriad of different formations Slot has deployed over the last few months—ranging from a 4-2-3-1 to an asymmetrical 3-4-3—Slot responded with a wry, biting wit that left the former defender stunned.
“I find it hard to listen to you, Jamie,” Slot replied with a smirk, “because you are the one who told me I have to make sure we didn’t concede that much. So I started to do that [changing formations to prioritize defensive solidity] and people began to complain it became boring. I’m not sure if I should listen to you or the people calling it boring.”
The exchange highlighted the immense pressure Slot is under. He is caught between the demand for the “Heavy Metal Football” of the Klopp era and the clinical, pragmatic results required to climb back into the title race.
The Road Ahead: Bournemouth and the Tactical Test
The victory over Marseille has bought Slot some breathing space, but the “low block” ghost continues to haunt the club’s domestic campaign. This Saturday, Liverpool travel to Bournemouth, a side that has shown a penchant for defensive resilience under pressure.
Gerrard’s warning will be ringing in Slot’s ears. The “tactics were spot on” in the Champions League, as Gerrard admitted, but Europe is a different beast. In the Premier League, respect is earned by breaking down the teams that refuse to come out and play.
The Final Verdict: A Clash of Philosophies
Arne Slot is a modern “system” coach, a man who thrives on patterns, pressing triggers, and transitional speed. Steven Gerrard represents the old-school Anfield ethos: that regardless of the system, a Liverpool player and manager must simply “find a way.”
By publicly bemoaning the difficulty of the low block, Slot is positioning himself as a tactical specialist who needs specific conditions to succeed. Gerrard’s message is clear: Liverpool managers don’t get to choose their conditions. They have to master them all. If Slot can’t silence the “low block” narrative with goals and points against the Burnley’s of the world, no amount of 3-0 European wins will satisfy the legends watching from the sidelines.