After 9 long, fruitful years with Jürgen Klopp, a new era is set to commence at Liverpool Football Club. Filling in the shoes of the man that turned things around in Liverpool, both on the pitch and off it won’t be a simple task. However, the club’s leadership is confident that they have recognized and signed the perfect replacement.
The following article will look into how Arne Slot might fit in Liverpool’s vision and continue down the path of success that Klopp took the club on. As always, we’ll rely on data to tell us the story – potential lineups, transfer targets, changes in style… an exciting summer is ahead of Reds’ fans, so let’s jump straight in!
Arne Slot’s Feyenoord – Statistical Overview
Slot joined the Rotterdam giants after a spell with AZ Alkmaar and spent three full seasons in charge. All three of the campaigns saw some success – a Europa Conference League final in 2021/22, the Eredivisie title in 2022/23, and a win in the Dutch Cup to close off last season. But, more than success itself, what caught the eye was the way the success was reached.
The first stat that catches the eye when it comes to Slot’s Feyenoord is ball possession – they averaged 59.8% of the possession across the three seasons under him. But it was far from possession for possession’s sake. With 19.9 shots per game and an average of 3.51 big chances created per match, it’s obvious they found a way of making that possession really effective and dangerous.
Of course, the level of Eredivisie is a bit lower than that in the Premier League. But under the premise that Liverpool’s and Feyenoord’s roles in their respective leagues are very similar (both were regular title contenders in the last three seasons), we were curious to see how the two teams compare from a purely statistical point of view.
The difference in the passes per game both teams made is the stat that stands out the most, suggesting that Arne Slot prefers a somewhat more direct style at an even higher pace than Klopp’s famous “heavy-metal” football. Judging by the numbers, the transition at Anfield should not be as painful as most managerial changes usually are.
Another similarity between the two managers lies in their preferred formations – both men usually set their teams up in a 4-2-3-1 on a 4-3-3 formation. Even though we saw Liverpool switch to a three at the back during some phases of the game, with Jurgen Klopp assigning different roles to players like Trent Alexander-Arnold or Joe Gomez, especially in the build-up, we should expect Arne Slot to stick to more traditional systems.
Potential transfers
Every time a new manager joins a big club, the summer transfer rumors go wild. From what could be read and heard so far, Arne Slot will definitely be looking to sign a new winger, with some even questioning the role and the importance of Mo Salah in the new process kicking off at Anfield. There hasn’t been any concrete talk of Salah leaving Anfield, but it will certainly be a possibility Liverpool are more open to now than during the last few years. The hottest stories so far include Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon, with the Magpies likely having to make some big sales this summer due to FFP problems.
The other position that Slot will be looking to reinforce is the centre-back. With Joël Matip leaving the club, it remains to be seen whether or not the youngster Jarrell Quansah will enjoy the same level of trust with Slot as he did last season with Klopp. Some of the names they’ve been connected to have already found their new clubs, such as Calafiori (Arsenal) and Yoro (Manchester United). There are, however, many potential targets still on the market, so further action is definitely to be expected.
Depending on the situation on the market and the available budgets, reports also suggest that Arne Slot wouldn’t mind adding another midfielder to his Liverpool squad, preferably a defensive-minded one. Even though it hasn’t been a big talking point so far, it is possible that the Dutchman will be looking for a different player profile, especially if he is to use the 4-3-3 formation with a holding midfielder.
Conclusion
It’s still early days as Arne Slot hasn’t had a single preseason match with his new players and the transfer window has only been opened for a few weeks, but the data can give us a preview of things to expect – Liverpool Football Club wants to stay on the stable, successful course set by their previous boss Jürgen Klopp, and Arne Slot seems to be a very sensible choice for the next captain of the famous red ship. But, as it always is the case both in football and in life, only time will give us the answer.