Discovering the correct candidate to fill Jurgen Klopp’s sneakers was all the time going to be an arduous process given Liverpool’s resurgent success beneath his watch.
The celebrated Merseyside membership had misplaced a few of its aura through the Premier League period and wanted a talismanic determine to revive its status. In Klopp, Liverpool discovered simply the person.
Transformational period
Since his appointment in 2015, Klopp has reworked the membership into probably the most dominant forces in European soccer. Throughout his nine-year reign, Liverpool received a full set of trophies.
The Champions League win in 2019 was arguably Klopp’s largest victory, given the match’s pre-eminence, however maybe even sweeter — when it comes to what it meant as a second — was the top of Liverpool’s 30-year look ahead to an English league title in 2020.
Klopp has turn into an icon for followers, along with his trademark post-match fist pump to the gang an instance of the connection he has with them. So it was no shock that Liverpool supporters have been surprised in January by his determination to face down as a result of he was “operating out of vitality”.
Liverpool set about figuring out Klopp’s successor totally conscious of the results of getting it fallacious. Michael Edwards, not too long ago appointed “chief govt of soccer” for Liverpool proprietor FSG, oversaw the method. Edwards was the membership’s former sporting director and had a key position in Klopp’s success, which included the signings of Mohamed Salah, Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk.
As a part of the search, Liverpool appeared for candidates who would go well with a squad assembled to play Klopp’s high-pressing techniques. Additionally they wanted to have the persona to take cost at one of many world’s largest golf equipment.
For a protracted interval, Xabi Alonso appeared like the right match after the previous Liverpool participant ended Bayern Munich’s dominance of German soccer. Liverpool by no means publicly confirmed curiosity in Alonso, however he put an finish to the hypothesis, committing his future to Bayer Leverkusen.
Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim was one other contender, however ESPN reported that his loyalty to his 3-4-3 formation was a stumbling block — with Amorim reluctant to compromise on his tactical philosophy, the price of hiring him amounted to greater than his launch clause (€15 million) and wage expectations (within the area of €12 million a yr). Liverpool additionally needed to think about the price of the squad upheaval that may outcome from recruiting for a special system of play.
Betting on Slot
Liverpool finally zeroed in on Feyenoord supervisor Arne Slot, who had been closely linked with a transfer to Tottenham Hotspur final yr.
Slot, who moved to Feyenoord in 2021 after impressing in his first managerial position at AZ Alkmaar, led the Rotterdam membership of their first season collectively to the ultimate of the inaugural Europa Convention League, which it narrowly misplaced to Jose Mourinho’s Roma. Slot then delivered only a second league title in 24 years to Feyenoord and added the Dutch Cup this yr.
Whereas Slot has a profitable pedigree with Feyenoord, that report is not going to assure success in England. Liverpool want solely take a look at Erik ten Hag’s struggles at Manchester United to know the way tough it may be for a profitable coach to adapt to a brand new league.
Ten Hag received three Dutch titles with Ajax, however faces uncertainty over his future at Outdated Trafford after a troubled season that appears prone to see United fail to qualify for the Champions League.
A bonus for Slot can be the truth that he takes over a workforce on the up after Klopp rebuilt his all-conquering squad over the previous two years. Regardless of shedding key gamers like Sadio Mane, Jordan Henderson and Roberto Firmino, Liverpool has rapidly returned to title competition and received the League Cup in February with seven gamers of his workforce within the ultimate aged 21 or beneath.
Though Klopp and Liverpool have been hoping to finish their affiliation on a excessive, with one other Premier League title, the latest defeat at Everton and draw in opposition to West Ham have damage their probabilities. Liverpool was additionally eradicated within the Europa League quarterfinals by Atalanta.
Whereas that has put a dampener on Klopp’s ultimate weeks in cost — there may nonetheless be a miracle within the script — he appeared on the scenario with attribute humour. “Clearly now I even assist by not ending on a excessive, so there may be area for enchancment,” Klopp stated.
The wringer awaits: Whereas Slot isn’t new to media duties, he has by no means confronted something just like the scrutiny the British soccer press routinely topics managers to. | Picture credit score: Getty Photos
Klopp stated he preferred Slot’s type of play however added that he has not been concerned within the search course of. “It’s less than me to evaluate this stuff, nevertheless it all sounds actually good to me,” stated Klopp. “I like the best way his workforce performs soccer. I don’t know him, however some individuals who know him say he’s an excellent man. I like that so much.”
So, what kind of coach is Liverpool getting?
Slot has been extensively praised for his modern, attacking soccer with Feyenoord. The British press has already dubbed him the ‘Dutch Pep Guardiola’, with Slot making no secret of his admiration for the Manchester Metropolis supervisor.
Along with Guardiola, Slot’s soccer concepts have additionally been influenced by Roberto De Zerbi, Marcelo Bielsa, Jorge Sampaoli, Luciano Spalletti, Mikel Arteta and Klopp himself. Former teammates of Slot say he thought like a supervisor throughout his enjoying days, with the one-time midfielder typically discussing tactical intricacies along with his coaches at FC Zwolle.
Onerous taskmaster: Slot is called a passionate chief with a fierce work ethic, driving to Feyenoord’s camp earlier than daybreak, watching each coaching session, and obsessively learning future opponents. | Picture credit score: Getty Photos
Meticulous, pushed, passionate
Slot is called a passionate chief with a fierce work ethic, driving to Feyenoord’s camp earlier than daybreak, watching each coaching session, and obsessively learning future opponents. This obsession with exhausting work and a spotlight to element have led to outcomes at Feyenoord, seen as a workforce with bodily match gamers who battle for one another and infrequently rating late targets.
However for all Slot’s capability, the choice to decide on him as Klopp’s successor nonetheless represents a step into the unknown for Liverpool.
Earlier than arriving in Anfield, Klopp had a historical past of success in elite soccer along with being an influential, cutting-edge tactician. The 45-year-old Slot, in distinction, has solely had 5 seasons as a head coach, all of them within the Netherlands, which doesn’t home a top-five league.
The pressures of dwelling as much as Anfield’s wonderful historical past, the challenges of coping with each celebrity gamers and the invasive British soccer press, and the cut-throat aggressive depth of the Premier League: Slot has by no means skilled any of those individually depart alone collectively.
Slot has additionally by no means needed to cope with a string of poor outcomes — a testomony to his qualities, however he has not been examined within the method he now can be. So, how he reacts to adversity will solely be identified when he experiences it. Then there may be the Kop and its particular emotional cost that Klopp was in a position to faucet into — Slot is not going to be anticipated to galvanise Liverpool followers instantly, but when he’s to have any success on Merseyside, he might want to persuade them pretty rapidly.
Life after Klopp received’t be simple for Liverpool — however the alternative of Slot definitely makes it attention-grabbing.