- League leaders Liverpool take on bitter rivals Man United at Anfield on Sunday
- Reds boss Arne Slot also praised Virgil van Dijk ahead of the contest.
- LISTEN NOW: It's all starting! New line-up, some new faces, but optimism has faded at Old Trafford
Arne Slot stressed that despite Manchester United's problems this season, he is sure that Ruben Amorim's team is better than what the league table shows and that the Portuguese coach “will eventually get the best out of them” .
'It's a great game. In my opinion, they have much better players than what the league standings show,” Slot said. Maybe it will take a while for Rubén to get control of the players, but they will definitely rise.”
Ahead of Sunday's clash at Anfield, the Liverpool boss added that he sympathized with Amorim, who has lost six of his 11 games since taking over at Old Trafford in November, while United finished 14th.
“I think every manager sympathizes with everyone else because we all know how much pressure this job entails; it's no different for him or me,” Slot said.
'This is a job that requires pressure and it is also something we like, otherwise we shouldn't do this. He has done very well with Sporting. “He has a good team, so he will eventually bring out the best in them.”
In his pre-match press conference, Slot praised Virgil Van Dijk as the game against United marked seven years since the Liverpool captain made his debut at Anfield.
Arne Slot (above) admitted he has “sympathy” for Man United manager Ruben Amorim
Amorim has had a difficult start to his Man United tenure and is already under huge pressure.
Slot also praised Virgil van Dijk and revealed how the defender “wow” him in training.
'I have to make a long list because the best players in the world have many attributes. Virgil has game intelligence: he reads the game very well, he is big, strong and fast.
“I was impressed by how he has possession of the ball from the first session, I was 'wow'. He is a complete player. The same as Mo (Salah), otherwise you do not belong to the best players in the world or the best in your position .
“Even with Virgil, there are probably some things he can improve on a little bit, but he's doing great with us.” He is also the one who leads the team. I'll listen to one player in the session and that's Virgil.
And Slot said he warned his players that playing United will not be easy, despite Liverpool winning 3-0 at Old Trafford in September. In the same game last season, Liverpool took 34 shots but failed to score in a goalless draw.
“If you have 34 shots, that tells me you need a bit of luck, but maybe United defended it too well,” Slot said.
'We need to be as prepared as possible. You're up against quality players and they'll think this is an opportunity to make their fans proud again. Those quality players are always dangerous.
Liverpool are six points clear at the top of the Premier League, with one game less than Arsenal, who are second.
