After nine incredible years, the Jürgen Klopp era at Liverpool is almost over. The German now has just three matches left in charge and while this season won’t end as many had dreamed, his farewell is set to be an emotional one next month.
Klopp managed to revitalize Liverpool with his ‘heavy metal football’ which got his players on side straightaway. The touchline bust-up with Mohamed Salah at West Ham was an isolated incident, with Klopp adored by those he has coached and improved along the way.
The focus is now shifting towards the future at Anfield with Klopp’s replacement close to being finalized. A host of managers have been linked with the Liverpool job but it is Arne Slot who will take up the mantle next season.
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Slot will arrive from Feyenoord with a decent reputation. His side won the Eredivisie last term and will finish second this time around, having also claimed the Dutch Cup earlier in the campaign.
While Slot will assume the title of head coach rather than manager, there are already similarities being drawn up with his predecessor and their respective coaching styles, on and off the pitch.
Fines system
While it may be uncommon for elite players to be fined for misdemeanors these days, Slot has been keen for fine systems to be implemented to maintain high standards. The Athletic reports Feyenoord players are punished for being late to a game or missing a team bus to away matches.
It is however stated that Slot is not a ‘disciplinarian’ and gives his players the freedom to make their own decisions. Klopp has used a similar system during his time at Liverpool, with ‘court cases’ introduced to make decisions when players step out of line..
James Milner told the High Performance Podcast: “If someone was late but they had a reason or flip flops in the gym and there was a reason. We randomly drew who was on the jury that day and I would basically be running the court and arguing why someone should be fined. And someone would argue the case if they shouldn’t be fined.
“We had fines and a big inflatable dice you had to roll. It was a good togetherness thing and I think that these little things create that dressing room.”
Training methods
Slot is set to be joined by Sipke Hulshoff at Anfield, with his assistant often leading training sessions and drills. The pair are said to bounce ideas off one another in an attempt to stay ahead of rivals.
Feyenoord performance lead Leigh Egger told The Athletic: “The training sessions are constantly changing. They hit the sweet spot of overload, tactics and physical demand.
“It makes our job in performance easier, because the players really want to train all the time. You see it also with the substitutes, who may have every right to be disappointed at not playing, but our training availability is so high because the sessions are stimulating and really fun, from a footballing regard.”
Slot is said to place a high importance on fitness and preparation, alongside his attacking approach. Hulshoff, who is also Ronald Koeman’s No.2 with the Dutch national side, has already been praised by Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk. He told vi.nl: “He is very clear and tactically strong. I like the moments when he leads a training session. I think I also speak for the group.”
Man management
Slot is no stranger to working with high-profile players and he will relish the challenge that awaits him at Anfield. Feyenoord CEO Dennis te Kloese said: “His player management is very unique — humane and thoughtful. He gives players a clear game plan, so players feel safe under him.”
His comments were backed up by ex-Liverpool ace Dirk Kuyt who spent some time shadowing Slot at Feyenoord. He told The Athletic: “What struck me about Arne was his ability to make the players believe in what he believes in.
“I talked to some of them when I was there and they all spoke so highly about him. They love how he organizes the training sessions and how he gets his ideas across. He’s an excellent communicator and man manager.”
Mark Diemers played under Slot at Feyenoord, and featured under Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag at Utrecht. He told ESPN Netherlands that there was no doubt about the best coach he he has worked with.
He said: “I choose Arne Slot. I can only talk from my time. I found Ten Hag insanely good tactically, so were his training sessions. I just didn’t think he was very good, at that time, on a human level. I thought Slot was a lot stronger on a human level.”
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
