Why Arne Slot is the perfect manager to replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool

On the 26th of April, Liverpool and Feyenoord agreed a deal that would allow Arne Slot to take the reigns of Liverpool off Jürgen Klopp, after the German announced he was leaving the club after nine years in charge.

In the football world, Arne Slot is a relatively unknown name, but the job he has done at Feyenoord warrants a chance at one of the biggest football clubs in the world. 

The Athletic reports 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. 

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

Last season, 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.

This season, Feyenoord will finish second in the Eredivisie, but that is only due to how good PSV Eindhoven has been, winning 27 of 31 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. 

The Athletic reports Feyenoord's highest-paid player this season is Ayase Ueda, earning €40,000 (£34,000). In comparison to Liverpool, Slot will inherit a squad where players like Mohamed Salah earn £350,000 (€410,000) a week.

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Despite the obvious difference in statures between the clubs, Slot's tactics and managerial know-how will 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 perfect for Liverpool going forward?

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