da roleta: The Dutchman's appointment has underwhelmed many Reds fans, but he could do great things with the strong squad he has inherited from Jurgen Klopp
da aposte e ganhe: Jurgen Klopp didn't just bid an emotional farewell to Anfield on Sunday evening, the outgoing Liverpool manager also revealed the identity of his successor. Klopp being Klopp, there was nothing conventional about his announcement, with the German signing Arne Slot's name to the tune of 'Live is Life' before calling on the crowd to "welcome the new manager like you welcomed me."
Klopp added, "You go all-in from the first day. And you keep believing and you push the team. Change is good." It can also be a little scary, though. A lot of people fear the unknown and it's fair to say that many Liverpool fans are unfamiliar with Slot's work with former club Feyenoord.
So, what can we expect to see from the Dutchman's new team? Which current Liverpool players might benefit from his arrival? And who might be added to the squad this summer? Here, GOAL looks at how Slot's Liverpool might play and line up next season…
Getty ImagesSimilar style to Klopp (and Pep!)
Changing managers is obviously fraught with risk. Players will nearly always need time to get to grips with a new personality with a different tactical approach. However, while Slot's appointment undeniably underwhelmed a lot of Liverpool supporters (Kop idol Xabi Alonso was the almost-universal choice to take over), there are real grounds for optimism that his arrival will make for as painless a transition as possible.
As former Liverpool and Feyenoord forward Dirk Kuyt pointed out on the podcast, "Arne's way of playing is very much in line with the game that Klopp plays. It is different but the principles are the same."
Slot has also never hidden the fact that he is a massive fan of Pep Guardiola, describing watching the Catalan's Manchester City as "the ultimate joy in football".
"It is not my intention to compare us with them," Slot told , "[but they] have a similar style of play to how we want to play with Feyenoord: 4-3-3, building up from the back, wanting to apply pressure quickly."
However, his former team also share similar traits to Klopp's Liverpool. Whether playing 4-3-3 or Slot's preferred 4-2-3-1, Feyenoord look to pin opponents back in their own half by playing a high defensive line and pressing intensely in the final third of the field. Consequently, a significant amount of Feyenoord's goals over the past three seasons have come after winning the ball back in opposition territory.
AdvertisementGettyIncredible defensive numbers
There are minor if notable differences in possession, though. Slot doesn't play non-stop heavy-metal football. He likes to slow things down a lot more than peak Klopp. Feyenoord, for example, are not as dangerous in transition and they do not make as many fast breaks as Liverpool.
That is not to say that they do not move the ball quickly when they can, but their approach is more patient, their build-up more methodical, and their attacks less direct. As a result, Feyenoord are less prone to losing the ball and even if they do, they're well-placed to immediately win it back.
Slot's regular use of a double pivot is key in that regard. The two chosen midfielders often drop deep to take passes from the defenders and move the ball rapidly wide, but they also serve as a vital safety net, given their presence in front of what often becomes a back three in possession allows the full-backs to fly forward when the opportunity presents itself.
It, therefore, shouldn't come as too much of a surprise to learn that Feyenoord have faced fewer shots than any other side in Europe's top 10 leagues this season, just 260 – compared to Liverpool's 414. In addition, only five teams shipped fewer goals (26), while Feyenoord also had the seventh-most clean sheets (17).
Clearly, the Eredivisie is not as competitive as the Premier League, but such numbers cannot be construed as anything but encouraging in the eyes of Liverpool supporters, given the Reds' defensive struggles during the tail end of the 2023-24 campaign.
Getty ImagesVery balanced side
Feyenoord clearly have their flaws – despite their sensational statistics, they were unable to keep pace with PSV this season and disappointed in Europe after a strong start to their Champions League campaign – but Slot created a wonderfully balanced side at De Kuip, as underlined by the fact that their expected goals against (26.35) was the third-lowest in Europe, and their expected goals scored (95.16) the second-highest.
It's, thus, exciting to think what he might achieve with a Liverpool team that Klopp has left in rude health, with a collection of proven Premier League performers and a promising crop of academy graduates.
"If you get AZ and Feyenoord to play [good] football, you will also get the big clubs to play [good] football," Dutch legend Marco van Basten told . "I think it would only become easier for him [at a big club] because you have better players who understand quicker what you want."
So, who might benefit most from his imminent arrival at Anfield?
GettyTrent as part of the double pivot?
Alisson Becker will certainly remain integral to Liverpool's game plan, given Slot's goalkeeper usually instigates attacks from deep by playing passes to the centre-backs stationed either side of him. Pundits such as Van Basten believe that Virgil van Dijk, with his fantastic range of passing, will also relish playing under his compatriot, but there are concerns over Ibrahima Konate's comfort on the ball. Indeed, Jarell Quansah's seriously impressive composure could well see him hold onto the starting spot he claimed towards the end of the season.
We could also see Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold bombing forward as much as they did during Liverpool's best years under Klopp, as Slot loves to see his full-backs providing width and overlapping as much as possible.
However, the buccaneering Conor Bradley might end up on the right-hand side of the defence, if Slot decides to move Alexander-Arnold into midfield on a permanent basis. The England international certainly has all of the attributes required to form one half of the Dutchman's double pivot.
There are other options in there, too, of course. Alexis Mac Allister has been immense wherever he's played since joining Liverpool from Brighton last season, while Wataru Endo's importance only grew as the season wore on because of his ability to win the ball and use it well.