'It is a strange question to ask' - Arne Slot hits out at critical ex-Liverpool player

Liverpool manager Arne Slot is the latest person from the club to hit back at claims from former player Michael Owen that only winning the Premier League this season would be disappointing.

The Reds are still nailed on to claim just a second league title since 1990, but in recent weeks have been knocked out of the Champions League and lost the Carabao Cup final. They also started 2025 with a shock FA Cup third round defeat to Plymouth Argyle.

But rewind to last summer when Slot was tasked with replacing Jurgen Klopp after nine years at the helm, inheriting a squad with injury-plagued Federico Chiesa as the sole signing, Liverpool have defied all expectations by being in a position to win the Premier League at all.

Owen, who never won a league title with Liverpool and had to wait until becoming a fringe player with fierce rivals Manchester United at the tail-end of his career to get one, sparked anger from fans and captain Virgil van Dijk when he suggested that this season will finish with a "bitter taste" due to the Reds not following through with "something special" in multiple other competitions.

"So you're suggesting the season is not going to be special anymore?" Van Dijk snapped back at the retired striker during a live broadcast following Liverpool's midweek win over Everton.

"Absolutely, it will be special. But I thought it could've been building into something very special," Owen quickly replied, seemingly doubling down on his opinion that Liverpool have underachieved.

Slot was asked about the comments ahead of this weekend's clash with Fulham.

"Michael did play for us didn't he? So he is aware of the fact that in 35 years we won the league once?" the Liverpool boss pointed out.

"There is your answer. If you can win the league with this club then, phew, nothing else matters I would say. If you do it ten times in a row then I could understand that people say: 'Oh but you only win the Premier League.'

"If [Manchester] City only won the Premier League then I could understand people saying: 'It's not a good season for City.' But if, at this club, you can compete for it and let alone win it, then it is a strange question to ask in my opinion. If Virgil has this opinion as well then I agree with him."

Owen has become a strange figure. He was Liverpool's top scorer for seven consecutive seasons from his breakthrough as an 18-year-old in 1997 and remains the club's last - and only - Ballon d'Or winner from 2001. But his popularity and legacy doesn’t match with those career achievements.

A 2004 transfer to Real Madrid wasn't well received by fans, before a 2005 return to England saw him wind up with Newcastle United instead, even though Owen insisted he would only leave Madrid to go back to Liverpool. Injury problems soon tanked his career, before the shock 2009 switch to Manchester United, which he publicly said he "agreed without a moment's thought", destroyed any remaining credibility the once adored player still had at Anfield.

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