Arne Slot says Liverpool can still do special things

• Arne Slot says Liverpool can still do “very special things” this season, but only if they improve at both ends
• He expects criticism to keep coming, with Liverpool sixth and winless in five league games
• Liverpool can book direct Champions League last 16 entry by beating Qarabag on Wednesday

Arne Slot says Liverpool can still deliver “very special things” this season, while refusing to define what he would view as an “acceptable” campaign.

Liverpool have won five of their past 18 Premier League matches, leaving Slot and his squad dealing with what he called “noise” around the club. Liverpool can still secure automatic qualification to the Champions League last 16 when they host Qarabag on Wednesday, and they remain in the FA Cup.

“If we can improve in both boxes, we can do very special things this season,” Slot said.

“But if we can only improve in one box, then it will probably be an acceptable season but not more than that.

“And if we can’t improve in both boxes, there’s going to be a lot of noise.”

Pressed on what he considers acceptable at Liverpool, Slot pointed to the expectations that come with the job.

“When you are Liverpool, the aim is to win the league. We’ve only done this twice in the last 30 years. The aim is to be competitive in every single competition we are in.

“That’s always the aim, but the reality is that in the last three years we’ve won one League Cup and one Premier League title.

“What is acceptable? I have my opinion but I’m not going to share that.

“The outside world has an opinion. As we all know, a lot has been said about the £450m [that Liverpool spent in the summer], but people tend to forget the £300m we bought in.”

Liverpool sit sixth in the table and have not won any of their past five league games. Slot said the scrutiny is not going away quickly.

“I think it’s going to be really difficult to quiet the outside noise with the position we are in in the league,” Slot said. “So even if we win a few games, every loss or every disappointing result will start the noise coming back again.

“That’s what you can expect if you started the season as we did – not started, but at a certain moment with so many losses. So it’s impossible to shut down the noise at a club like this if you are not competing for the league.”

Liverpool go into the final round of Champions League league phase fixtures sitting fourth, with the top eight progressing straight to the last 16. A defeat could push them out of those places, so Slot insisted his players cannot take Qarabag lightly, even with the visitors 18th in the 36 team table.

“It is always the players that make things difficult. They are very direct, fast players,” Slot said of Qarabag.

“They go very direct and fast towards goal and have players who are comfortable on the ball. They have shown against big clubs that they are a very good team. Even Chelsea, they were able to keep them to 2-2.

“If you look at our Champions League this season, some clubs are lucky to face the teams who are outside and in the bottom 10. We only played one [Eintracht Frankfurt]. We did really well, but maybe it has given us some problems in the league game or two games later.”