Arne Slot is set to begin his first season as Liverpool’s head coach, and the comparisons to his predecessor, Jurgen Klopp, are inevitable. As the new campaign kicks off in three days, all eyes will be on Slot to see how he moulds the team, particularly given the strong resemblance between his approach and Klopp’s.
In an interview with Canal+, Slot discussed what Liverpool fans can expect from his team in the 2024/25 season. He acknowledged the parallels to Klopp’s style but emphasized that while there are similarities, his approach introduces some key differences.
Slot described his preferred style of play as one that he has consistently applied throughout his coaching career. “There are a lot of similarities with Jurgen Klopp and the way Liverpool played in the past,” he explained. “I hope we will see these similarities in the coming weeks and months.”
However, Slot also noted that the Premier League is fiercely competitive, with many teams eager to dominate possession. He stressed the importance of Liverpool controlling the ball, saying, “We like to have the ball; we don’t want the other team to have it. But in the Premier League, many good teams also want possession, so we have to fight hard for it. And when we have it, we want to score and be intense in everything we do.”
One area where Slot’s philosophy diverges from Klopp’s is in how he balances moments of chaos on the pitch. Klopp’s teams often thrived in chaotic situations, especially in and around the opposition’s penalty area. Slot, while appreciating the success of this approach, prefers a more measured style at times. “Maybe the only slight difference is that after winning the ball, I like to go forward just as Jurgen did. But I sometimes prefer when players keep the ball rather than always playing the risky pass,” Slot explained. “Klopp’s approach created a lot of success for many years, but I believe in finding a balance—creating chaos when needed and maintaining possession at other times.”
As Liverpool heads into the new season, pre-season games have already shown promising glimpses of what Slot’s team might look like. Despite some concerns over a lack of transfer activity, there’s still a lot of excitement surrounding what the 2024/25 season could bring under Slot’s leadership.
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