The post-Jurgen Klopp era has begun at Anfield with new Liverpool boss Arne Slot admitting that his job on Merseyside is a simple one: Win trophies
Arne Slot has embraced the pressure of following Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, insisting he is here to win trophies.
Slot knows Klopp was Liverpool’s most successful coach for a generation, since Kenny Dalglish’s first spell, and is not put off trying to emulate him at Anfield. The Dutchman won the Eredivisie title and Dutch Cup in his three seasons at Feyenoord and says he wants to win more at Liverpool.
“I think if you work at a club like Liverpool, trophies are the aim,” said the new head coach. “The players have that aim, the club has, the staff have and the fans have.
“We’re here to win something. We’re here to become better players, to become a better team and as an end result of that, we want to win trophies. We come here on a daily basis because we want to improve and we want to play special games.
“But we’re here at this level because every player, and the manager as well, has a burning desire inside of him that he wants to win.
“Probably because you want to win so bad, that’s also the reason why you want to improve if that makes sense.”
Slot, 45, is relaxed about succeeding Klopp and feels the German has left him an excellent squad. Liverpool’s first eight players returned for pre-season training on Friday, with Mohamed Salah reporting back yesterday, and Slot feels his playing style should translate well to Anfield. Liverpool scoured Europe for their next coach and number-crunched all the data before settling on Slot.
“What’s really important is that the people want my style of play,” he said. “That’s what a manager can bring to the club. That’s what I promise, or I can assume will happen, because that’s what I did at my former clubs.
“The margins in the Premier League are really small and Liverpool lost by one point a few times. What I can say is I have won a lot of games with my playing style.”
Slot turned down Tottenham last summer when they wanted to lure him to the Premier League and he says the timing was not right, unlike now.
“Now was a good moment to leave my former club,” he said. “The year before we won the league, but financially the club was maybe still not in the best position.
“Now, after going to the Champions League, and they will sell a few players, the club is in a really good financial position and that’s what they expected from me when I came in.
“Then of course comes the moment when you can come to this club. Everyone is telling me constantly, they’re big shoes to fill.”
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