Liverpool invested heavily in their squad last summer and things were far from smooth. Slot liked to remind everyone of the adjustment period his new acquisitions needed.
Throughout the campaign you will have heard and read about Slot, explaining how they had to adapt to the demands of the Premier League alongside other competitions.
Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez are the names that are easily mentioned, but both have been on an upward trajectory and Slot sees the improvement that time and experience have brought to them and the team.
Speaking to TNT Sports after the FA Cup win, Slot was encouraged by a team he believes is fitter and better adapted, before naming Szoboszlai as the “perfect” case study of new signings adapting.
“I would almost say the FA Cup is as difficult as the Champions League because it is almost all the same teams,” he said.
“The margins are small, but I can honestly say that this team has undergone good development in recent months.
“We struggle to bring the same intensity, but it is now at a much better level. Players have adapted and the team seems fitter.”
“It didn’t always feel like we could compete, but now they’ve adjusted and you see what this team can do.
“These players are young. Most of them, not all. Most of the signings are young. They have to adapt to a new country, a new league and play at a higher intensity.”
“Dominik Szoboszlai is a perfect example of that if you look at the past two and a half years as a Bundesliga player.”
Is Dominik Szoboszlai the perfect example of needing time to adapt at Liverpool?
Szoboszlai arrived in the summer of 2023 as part of a midfield overhaul and quickly settled into Jürgen Klopp’s lineup following his move from Leipzig.
An injury in early 2024 saw his involvement decline and he ended the season before becoming a regular for Slot following the Dutchman’s arrival at the club.
His importance to the team has grown year on year, with his goals and assists on an upward trajectory, eclipsing his previous best season after season.
Szoboszlai already has his best goal tally at the club (10) in a single season, and is just two assists away from surpassing his career best at Anfield (8).
Only Virgil van Dijk (3,330) has played more minutes than Szoboszlai (3,128) this season, while he was fifth in Slot’s debut season and 11th in his first year at the club.
He has clearly adapted to the Premier League, juggling the demands of other competitions with each passing campaign and is now reaping the rewards, which shows why Slot believes he is the “perfect” role model for new signings.
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