Liverpool look set to appoint Arne Slot as the man to lead them into the post-Jurgen Klopp era.
Although there’s nothing official just yet, it appears that negotiations are hurtling towards a conclusion between Liverpool and Feyenoord.
With Slot reportedly already drawing up plans for which of his backroom team will join him at Anfield, it’s surely now only a matter of time.
Since the news that the Reds have plumped for the 45-year-old broke on Tuesday, there has obviously been a lot of reaction. Most of it has been positive, but there have been some dissenting voices, too.
Adding his voice to those cautious about Slot’s appointment is former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore. The pundit doesn’t appear to believe that FSG are making the right call.
What has Stan Collymore said about Arne Slot
You can understand why people are being slightly wary of Slot. Klopp’s boots are incredibly big ones to fill and the Dutchman has just five years of managerial experience under his belt.
He has never played or managed outside of the Netherlands and has very little grounding at all in the Champions League. There’s no question that it’s a bit of a gamble from Michael Edwards.
And writing in his column for Caught Offside on Friday, Collymore claimed that he’s ‘concerned’ about Slot’s credentials.
“Is anyone else slightly concerned at the quality of the names being bandied around for Liverpool and Manchester United simultaneously?” says the pundit.
“Just as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are about to exit the world stage with no real threat to their legacies, the fact that England’s two biggest clubs may have gone to a poor Eredivisie for their coaches is slightly concerning in my opinion. Where are all the Jose Mourinho, Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola revolutionaries that mix tactical nous with personality?
“Arne Slot doesn’t have the X factor that Klopp brought with him into Liverpool, and of course he doesn’t have the trophy haul Mourinho and Guardiola had when they arrived in England, so it’s a bit of a worry.”
Is there still a chance it’ll be someone else
Up until Slot’s ascension to being main pick, it had looked quite likely that Liverpool’s next manager would be Ruben Amorim.
The Sporting manager may be younger than Slot, but he has a more impressive CV.
However, reports from Thursday night have claimed that Amorim simply wanted too much money to join Liverpool. The Reds are said to have informed the 39-year-old that they won’t be meeting his demands.
Another seemingly under consideration has been Thomas Frank. Reports from Denmark have noted that the Brentford manager had a meeting with the Liverpool hierachy.
Despite these links though, it now seems virtually certain that Slot will be on his way to Anfield. There are legitimate concerns there, but hopefully he prove them all to be unfounded.
