Liverpool want Feyenoord’s Arne Slot as Klopp successor

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Feyenoord manager Arne Slot has emerged as the frontrunner to takeover from Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool at the end of the season.  Liverpool have started the negotiation process with the defending Eredivisie champions and will hope to agree a fee to secure Slot’s services in the coming days.

Slot began his managerial career in the 2019/20 Eredivisie season with AZ Alkmaar, taking them to their best finish since their title winning campaign in 2008/09.  AZ were on fire, sitting in second place on goal difference to Dutch giants Ajax but unfortunately did not see their title race play-out due to the Covid-19 pandemic which saw the Eredivisie season voided without a winner.

Halfway into his second season at the club he was sacked, with the reasoning not down to performance but due to AZ finding out he had agreed to join Feyenoord on a two-year deal at the beginning of the 2021/22 season.  Slot took over a Feyenoord side that had finished fifth and was tasked with rebuilding the club into dominant side with a recognizable playing style.

The club ended the Eredivisie season in third place with Slot winning Eredivisie manager of the season, he also completed their most successful European campaign in more than two decades, losing out on the UEFA Conference League trophy with a 1-0 loss to Jose Mourinho’s Roma in the final.

Since his arrival Slot has built Feyenoord into not only one of the Eredivisie’s best sides, he has also brought consistent success, winning the clubs first Eredivisie title in six years in the 2022/23 season and adding this season’s Dutch Cup to their trophy cabinet.

Slot has claimed Pep Guardiola as his managerial inspiration but if we look into his style of play there are many similarities with how Jurgen Klopp has operated at both Liverpool and Borussia Dortmund.

Similarly to Guardiola, Slot loves a high possession and control focused brand of football that limits chaos, this can be seen with his Feyenoord side who boast arguably the best attack and defense in the Eredivisie.  There are fundamental aspects to his philosophy that would suit Liverpool perfectly with the foundation Klopp has built since his arrival.

Feyenoord are a dominant side that thrives with the ball and attacks with a high intensity, looking to overload the wide areas with their attacking minded fullbacks and wingers that look to come inside, a style we have seen earn much success at Liverpool with Andy Robertson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mo Salah and Sadio Mane.

Without the ball Slot uses a high defensive line and unrelenting counter-press high up the field, using his attacking players as his first defenders to win the ball high up the pitch.  Feyenoord are one of the most successful counter-pressing teams in European football, outperforming even Jurgen Klopp in the final third for turnovers and winning back possession.  This is arguably the most important similarity between both managers.

The defending Dutch champions have set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation for the majority of Slot’s reign but have also extensively used the 4-3-3, a formation Klopp has predominantly deployed.  Feyenoord set up with four defenders but allow their fullbacks to stay in attacking areas.  To help the central defenders two defensive minded midfielders stay deep for protection and progress the ball on attack.  Players like Alexis Mac Allister, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Stefan Bajcetic could suit this position well if given time to adapt.

The Liverpool hierarchy seem to have identified a manager that suits Liverpool’s philosophy off the pitch.  Arne Slot’s principles fundamentally match Liverpool’s.  Slot has operated and succeeded with a club that has budgetary limits and cannot match the spending of their competitors, prioritizes youth development, and is regarded as one the most charismatic and best man managers in European football.

Taking over the reigns from a legendary figure like Jurgen Klopp who has won every trophy possible during his nine-year stay at Anfield will be the biggest challenge of Arne Slot’s career but if we look into his short but successful time as a manager, we can see why Michael Edwards has identified the Dutchman as a top target.

Photo: Twitter @AnfieldSector

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Dylan Johnson