It’s not going to be Xabi Alonso, it won’t be Unai Emery, it doesn’t look like it will be Roberto De Zerbi or Ruben Amorim.
But there is now the growing possibility that Liverpool’s next manager is going to be Arne Slot of Feyenoord.
The 45-year-old is in talks to replace Jurgen Klopp at Anfield and now seems to be the frontrunner for the job.
Liverpool fans will now be desperate to know more about the Dutchman because he probably wasn’t front and centre of their thoughts when Klopp initially announced that he was going to leave.
Look, whoever replaces the German, they are going to be in for a very, very tough gig, not just because of the pressures of managing the club, but the man you are replacing.
If it is indeed Slot, then he would join Liverpool on a high. He won the Eredivisie title last season – only Feyenoord’s second title since the turn of the century – and the KNVB Cup on Sunday.
But what is Slot’s style of play? What are his similarities to Klopp? Is he a Liverpool-style coach and does he have the man-management skills to take over at English football’s biggest club?
Well, European football expert Kevin Hatchard was on hand to answer all those questions and how Slot is a manager who likes ‘aggression without the ball’, as he told talkSPORT (23/04/24 at 6:40 pm).
That is right down Klopp’s street. Added to that, he prefers two formations – a typical Dutch style 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1.
Arne Slot’s style of play
“I think it’s an interesting one,” said Hatchard. “I think this was always going to be a forensic process, a data-driven process if you look at the people involved. Obviously, there was interest in Xabi Alonso but he has distanced himself from that and Liverpool have had to look elsewhere.
“If you look at Arne Slot and what he has done at Feyenoord, and how he has done it. It’s very much aggression without the ball. Trying to win the ball high up the pitch. He does like to play attacking football. He can play 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1. He has had success, won the Eredivisie title last season, won the Dutch Cup this time around and has had some good runs in Europe.
“There are concerns, as there would be over any coach, because if it was Ruben Amorim and he came in from Portugal, then you would say ‘can he make that leap from the Primeira Liga?’ It’s the same with Arne Slot, it doesn’t necessarily translate into surefire success in the Premier League. But it doesn’t say it couldn’t be. Speaks good English. Good communicator. A good man manager and he has a lot of the things I could see Liverpool would want in a coach.”
Arne Slot is a risk by Liverpool
As mentioned previously, the powers that be are going for risk and not popularity – and they should be!
This is a big, big call and they can’t afford to be playing to the crowd because that isn’t going to get you anywhere other than finding a new coach in less than a year.
Michael Edwards has previously gained a very good reputation from the Liverpool fans for the job he did at the club the first time around, and rightfully so!
But this is certainly his biggest test yet and if he gets this right, then it would seriously elevate his status even further amongst the fanbase.
It’s never easy replacing someone successful, popular, and most importantly, with longevity. Just look at what happened post-Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United and post-Arsene Wenger at Arsenal.
But you just know the Liverpool fans and the whole club, if It were to be Slot, would back him and remain patient with him.