Arne Slot has urged his team to show the Champions League what it was missing after Liverpool’s absence from the top tier last season.

After a year in the Europa League, Liverpool returned to the elite stage with a statement win over AC Milan a fortnight ago, but Slot will take charge of his first European home game on Wednesday evening with much to live up to.

His predecessor Jurgen Klopp was renowned for his pre-match rallying cries, and Slot has followed a familiar blueprint before facing Serie A side Bologna.

“I was privileged enough to work at Feyenoord where Champions League nights last season were also really special,” said Slot.

“People tell me it will be even more special here. What I expect from our players – they have missed out on the Champions League for a year so when they step out on the pitch tomorrow I want to see this.

“I want to feel like they feel, ‘Ah, we missed it for a season’. A club of this standard has to be ready and I’m hoping and expecting the same from our fans.

“They have missed it for a season and I am hoping they feel this desire to show to Europe again that they missed us. That combination should hopefully lead to a very special night for everyone involved at Liverpool.”

‘You cannot accept mediocrity’

Despite a promising start with seven wins from eight games, Slot is proving himself a perfectionist by demanding more. A 2-1 weekend win at Wolverhampton Wanderers took his side top of the Premier League, but Slot described the closing stages at Molineux as average.

“We as a team, if you have so much quality, you cannot accept mediocrity,” he said.

“You have to ask from yourself every second of the day, every second of the game, the highest standards that this shirt brings. I and we as a staff have to set those standards very clearly and that 15 minutes [at Wolves] when we lost the ball so many times in promising positions or moments that could lead to promising positions is maybe not acceptable.

“I think they [Wolves] only had two shots in the second half but in promising situations we lost the ball before it led to a chance and we lost the ball a few times really easy before it even got to a promising situation.”

Slot’s methods are becoming clearer every week and despite his discontent with elements of Liverpool’s play, he will never deliver the hairdryer treatment to his team.

“I don’t lose my temper that much, I don’t think it is a good idea to lose your temper every single day because then players at a certain moment feel, ‘there he is again, screaming at us’. It doesn’t work,” said Slot.

“I think it is better to show them the actual things they do but the positive thing about this group is maybe I don’t accept mediocrity but these players themselves don’t accept it as well.

“I saw after the game one or two players, a few more even, who were more frustrated not only about the last 15 minutes but about how we started the game that was also not of the standards I am expecting from a Liverpool team or these players. It is not only about me, it is also about the players that do not accept these moments as well.”