Liverpool legend Sami Hyypia has said the Reds are “in good hands” under Arne Slot, but the players must take responsibility to regain their form.
Hyypia both won and lost a League Cup final and Champions League final during his 10 years at Liverpool.
That 2005 League Cup final defeat to Chelsea could have dented the team’s confidence, but they instead recovered and went on to win the Champions League that season.
Slot’s side could go on to lift the Premier League this campaign following the League Cup blow, but Hyypia thinks the players need to take responsibility for re-finding their form for the run-in.
Speaking ahead of Liverpool Legends vs. Chelsea Legends, Hyypia told This Is Anfield: “I think it’s it’s not only up to him to get us in a better way again.
“It’s the responsibility of all the players as well that they think what they can do better on the field and they are working hard to make that [happen], and that will help the manager as well.”
Reflecting on how he recovered from losses, the former centre-back said: “I remember from my day that if we lost the game and there was an international break, I would have wanted to carry on and have the opportunity in three or four days to correct things.
“Now everyone goes away and [are] obviously thinking about other things and concentrating on their countries, but still, I preferred that we had a chance to correct things in three or four days, and then it was out of my mind.
“My thing is that I overthink things too much, and that was quite tough to wait a few weeks to correct things for Liverpool when we lost a game and we had an international break after that.”
How private pre-season talks with Slot told Hyypia Liverpool were “in good hands”
Hyypia is now retired after an attempt at management following the conclusion of his playing career.
Having taken charge of Bayer Leverkusen, Brighton and Zurich, the 51-year-old knows the difficulties faced by Slot and revealed he was immediately impressed in pre-season.
The Finn commented: “I think I didn’t know Arne at all when he came to Liverpool, but I had an opportunity when I was in America with the team with the pre-season tour.
“I had a chance to talk with him a few times then I knew that we are in good hands, but I didn’t expect this kind of start.
“I think he has surprised everyone how we have started and how things have gone, but, of course, these kind of things that when it’s not going well, then you show your character and how you are…
“I think he’s a good leader for our squad and for our club, and he can’t do it alone. He needs a lot of help from the players as well.”
Liverpool Legends vs. Chelsea Legends
Tickets remain on sale for the game with funds raised going to support the LFC Foundation’s health programmes, which are helping tackle health inequalities across the Liverpool City Region by providing physical and mental wellbeing programmes for people of all ages.
Tickets for this year’s Legends match are priced at £29 for adults, £19 for concessions and £9 for juniors and can be purchased here, with full selling details available here. Disabled supporters can visit the Accessibility Hub for full sale details.
Hospitality packages can also be purchased from £195 including VAT. More information is available here or by calling 0151 264 2222.
Please note that supporters who have already purchased a ticket but have not yet received their ticket, will receive their ticket via email this week. Any supporter who has not received their ticket by Thursday should please contact the ticket office.
