Liverpool fans are increasingly nervous at the lack of progress in contract talks with Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, but the success of Arne Slot should give them hope
It’s understandable for Liverpool fans to be nervous when they see the lack of progress in public over Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s contract talks.
As great as this season is proving to be for Liverpool, there is real concern three of their best players could leave on frees this summer. Van Dijk added to the uncertainty when the Liverpool skipper said he “has no idea” if he will still be at Anfield next season after the Champions League defeat to Paris St Germain.
But supporters only need to look at Liverpool’s appointment of Arne Slot for reassurance that the club can get big decisions right. There was real anxiety among Kopites in January when Jurgen Klopp announced he would be leaving Anfield at the end of the seaso
He had crafted Liverpool in his own image during his nine success-filled years and the question for owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) was how to replace the irreplaceable? Xabi Alonso was the obvious choice and ticked all the boxes. He understood Liverpool inside out, was loved by the fans, was young and, most crucially, was a winner.
The Basque’s double success with Bayer Leverkusen made him the manager that not just Liverpool, but Bayern Munich wanted before he ruled himself out. This put Liverpool back to square one and while all the outside noise was about Ruben Amorim, who the Reds felt was too young and too wedded to a back three, and Roberto De Zerbi, they produced Slot like a rabbit out of a hat.
Armed with all the data analysis, which is the envy of every geek, Liverpool identified Slot as someone who could succeed with the squad already assembled at Anfield. He had the right temperament, philosophy, age at 45 and was a winner at Feyenoord.
Erik ten Hag had blackened the name of Dutch coaches in England, but Slot and his compatriot are like chalk and cheese. Although Feyenoord are one of Holland’s big three, they lag behind Ajax and must punch above their weight to win the Eredivisie.
Slot duly did this guiding Feyenoord to the inaugural Europa Conference League Final in 2022, the Eredivisie title in 2023 and the Dutch Cup in 2024 before he moved to Liverpool. Liverpool were never going to get another Klopp because he and his style are unique, but they liked how Slot wanted his team to dominate possession in order to control a game.
He’s not high maintenance like Klopp and while the German had an opinion on everything, and didn’t mind sharing it, Slot is much-less controversial. The fire burns within him, as his outburst at referee Michael Oliver after the Merseyside derby shows, but mostly he is calm and controlled on the touchline.
Liverpool fans expected third place at best and no-one, not even the most rabid of Reds, expected them to walk the Premier League. Don’t forget this will only be Liverpool’s second title in 35 years and it is all down to Slot.
So Liverpool fans must have faith that FSG can get the big calls right.
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