Slot says Liverpool is not the world's best team
Ahead of Liverpool's Premier League game at home to Ipswich Town this weekend, Reds coach Arne Slot has refuted suggestions his team is the best in the world.
The league leader comes into the fixture on a 17-match unbeaten run, having also secured a top-eight spot in the UEFA Champions League with a game to spare by beating Lille 2-1.
Last weekend, Brentford coach Thomas Frank described Liverpool as the best in the business after seeing his team beaten 2-0 by two late Darwin Nunez goals.
Slot, however, disagrees, saying: "No. I think we have a lot of quality and our players work really hard. If Thomas Frank says this, then it means something.
"He's been in the Premier League a long time and doesn't have a lot of resources, so if he gives this compliment then it is nice. I can come up with five or six teams who are also very good.
"Every time we win it is by small margins. They understand how hard we have to work for a win. Bayern Munich are very good and Barcelona beat Benfica 5-4.
"The privilege of managing Liverpool is you have more than 11 good players. You know how tough this competition is and the Premier League and it's up to the players to be ready if they get a chance."
Ipswich coach Kieran McKenna, meanwhile, has suggested the game agains Liverpool will be the toughest of the season for his relegation candidates.
"The players are working hard and they know we have climbed a mountain really quickly. There are going to be some difficult days, we don't use that as an excuse," he said.
"We are grateful for the way the fans have stuck with us. We need to analyse the things we need to do better and then it is on to Liverpool.
"Liverpool away is as tough as what's out there."
The Tractor Boys were hammered 6-0 by Manchester City last weekend but McKenna was keen to point out how impressed he was with his players, acknowledging the gap in quality.
"They were outstanding and when that's the case, the gulf between us was too much on the day. Once they got the first goal they played really well, our confidence did drop and they caused us a lot of promise individually," he said.
"The players showed some good character in the last 25 minutes. In a difficult moment, in the last 20 minutes they regrouped well. We had to take our medicine and work hard to stop Man City."
