Arne Slot and Liverpool: The perfect fit after sensational Premier League start

New Liverpool manager Arne Slot has not missed a beat after taking the reigns from Jurgen Klopp at the start of the year. So far, the Merseyside club have been perfect in their opening two Premier League games.

Liverpool beat Brentford at Anfield 2-0 on Saturday 25 August, and made the most of their time at Portman Road, beating newly promoted Ipswich Town 2-0 on match day 1.

Pre-season results for Arne Slot and Liverpool were also near perfect, with Liverpool beating Real Betis, Arsenal, and dismantling Manchester United 3-0.

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Slot has reportedly spent the summer focusing on the Reds' defensive midfield, as per the Guardian, and it shows. Liverpool have dominated the possession in their 2024 routs so far, with Ryan Gravenberch proving to be some of the safest feet in the midfield so far.

There has been a clear improvement to their passing game as well, having successfully completed 92% of their passes against Brentford on Saturday, giving the likes of Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz and Mo Salah plenty of good ball.

Things will be put to the test in their match day 3 clash on Sunday, however, when they will take a full-strength side Manchester United at Old Trafford. The North-West battle continues...

In April, Liverpool and Feyenoord agreed a deal that would allow Slot to take the reigns of Liverpool off Jürgen Klopp after the German announced he was leaving the club after nine years in charge.

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The Athletic reported that Slot is one of two managers to win an Eredivisie for Feyenoord this century, and became the first coach to take the club beyond the group stages of European football since 2015. 

Slot helped his Feyenoord team reach the inaugural UEFA Conference League Final against Roma in 2022 and the Europe League quarterfinals in 2023, parallel to winning the Dutch league title. 

In 2023, Slot proved he could develop a new squad into title winners, having only retained four players from the Conference League final in 2022 and making nearly £60 million (€70 million). Of his 12 new signings, none were above the age of 24, according to GOAL.

Last season, Feyenoord finished second in the Eredivisie, but that is only due to how good PSV Eindhoven has been, winning 29 of 34 matches and only losing one. They did win the KNVB Cup on April 21st against NEC Nijmegen.

Despite his success in the Netherlands, it is clear that Liverpool is gambling on bringing in a manager who has five years of coaching experience and hasn't managed in European football's elite.

According to the Daily Telegraph, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said: "For the last nine years, Liverpool have possessed one of the top two managers in the world. They are now gambling on the next big thing rather than appointing a proven, real deal."

In the UEFA Champions League, Slot has only coached in one campaign, winning two of six games. However, in three full seasons at Feyenoord, Slot has never lost consecutive games, showcasing his ability to remain consistent. 

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The Athletic reports that Feyenoord's highest-paid player last season, Ayase Ueda, earned €40,000 (£34,000 or approximately $43,000) per week. In contrast, Arne Slot has taken over a Liverpool squad where players like Mohamed Salah earn £350,000 (€410,000 or around $445,000) weekly.

Despite the obvious difference in statures between the clubs, Slot's tactics and managerial know-how seem to fit seamlessly into the culture at Liverpool.

GOAL reports Slot likes to set his teams up in 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1, pushing both fullbacks high and into attacking positions and pushing the wingers into the middle to create devastating rotations. No Dutch team has registered a higher amount of progressive dribbling carries this season.

Under Slot and his current tactics, Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander Arnold are the best options in the world for attacking fullbacks, and with Mo Salah's goal-scoring threat, Slot's tactics would allow him to find more dangerous positions in front of goal off the wing.

Out of possession, Slot draws many similarities to Klopp, with their team's pressing high up the pitch and making it difficult for teams to work the ball out of their defensive third. 

Slot has the right tactics on paper to allow Liverpool to succeed, but if he couldn't communicate effectively, the egos in the dressing room would potentially mount up on the Dutch boss.

According to the Dutch website NOS, Slot's former Zwolle manager, Jan Everse, said: "Arne is diplomatic. He tells what he needs to tell the group and doesn't beat around the bush." Is he the perfect fit for Liverpool? So far so good! 

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