Welcome to the Arne Slot period, Liverpool followers.
The Dutchman is in at Anfield, and Jurgen Klopp is off in a blaze of glory, having fun with life’s finer issues – aggressive padel and Taylor Swift.
Slot sat down with Liverpool’s media staff for his first interview on the membership on Wednesday, giving a mighty effective account of himself, his imaginative and prescient and extra.
Listed here are our 5 predominant takeaways from that interview.
In one in all his ultimate acts as Liverpool supervisor, Klopp selected to serenade his successor on the Anfield pitch, disrupting his personal farewell celebrations to kick-start Slot’s tenure.
Slot confirmed he has spoken with Klopp in regards to the process on his fingers at Anfield, although careworn the German had left Liverpool ‘in place’.
“He gave me various good ideas however I believe what stood out for me was that he was so completely happy for me and that – and I believe he mentioned this within the media as nicely – he can be my largest fan any longer as a result of he helps Liverpool in the absolute best approach, and you do not see this fairly often. So, it says quite a bit about his character, the way in which he dealt with this case as nicely,” Slot mentioned of Klopp.
Liverpool have finished a mighty effective job at telling the world that Slot is coming in as their ‘head coach’, fairly than ‘supervisor’.
It is largely semantics, however there’s a slight distinction. Klopp, as supervisor, was central to every part on the membership, however Slot will primarily be tasked with what occurs on the coaching floor.
Nonetheless, he is unconcerned by this prospect and insists he is acquainted with taking part in such a job in a membership’s wider system, whereas he’s additionally nonetheless given enter over transfers alongside new sporting director Richard Hughes.
“For me, it’s regular as a result of that is the way in which it’s in Europe and in Holland,” Slot claimed. “I do not assume there’s a lot of a change between a head coach and a supervisor, it is simply that by being a head coach I can go in absolutely to the issues I wish to do.
“So, work with the staff, put together the staff in the absolute best approach, and me and Richard are going to work collectively with regards to transfers however not solely the 2 of us – there’s a huge backroom workers included on this as nicely.
“I believe for me it’s the approach I’ve labored at all times and it for me is the perfect approach of working as a result of I can use essentially the most of my time by working with the staff and the time that’s left will most likely be a bit for the household and a bit to speak with Richard about how we are able to strengthen the staff. However we have already got a very robust staff.”
Laced within the interview have been notions that Slot had studied Liverpool so intensely that he did not simply watch again video games from final season, however coaching periods run by Klopp and his assistant Pep Lijnders.
“There are two issues [why] to do that [watch training],” Slot defined. “In fact to get to know extra in regards to the gamers as a result of largely you see them in the course of the video games. And also you need to know additionally what the tradition is, how they prepare and what they’re used to. I believe it is at all times fascinating in case you are the successor of Jurgen Klopp and in addition Pepijn Lijnders, who does fairly a bit of labor on the coaching pitch, to see what their concepts have been on the coaching pitch.
“I mentioned this, all of us attempt to steal a bit from one another – largely that is finished by wanting on the video games however when you can see the way in which they prepare, that may solely enable you to. Let one factor be clear: the gamers usually are not going to get all the identical workout routines once more – we are going to implement our personal issues. But it surely’s fascinating to see what they did additionally in the course of the week.”
Discuss doing all of your homework and leaving nothing to probability.
There was loads of information concerned in Liverpool’s seek for a brand new boss, loads of questioning how the brand new man would match into their construction.
However for a membership as cerebral because the Reds are, it was additionally vital that they employed a candidate with charisma and allure, character and character.
With Klopp, his vitality leapt off the display screen. He is a one-of-one that we’ll by no means see once more on this sport. Slot might by no means be fairly on that very same degree in his first interview, however he positively radiated the traits fascinating in a Liverpool head coach.
Slot’s success at Feyenoord made him common in Rotterdam, however it was additionally who he was as an individual that took him into legendary standing. That issues.
When Klopp took to the mic on his ultimate Anfield look and began singing ‘ARN-EE SLOT, LA LA LA LA LA LA LA’, it appeared that may be the identify that caught.
Now, that is not strictly the way you pronounce ‘Arne’, however Slot mentioned he would not thoughts if folks essentially default to that.
Nonetheless, he did observe that the proper saying is ‘Arr-nuh’. Which is far more roll-of-the-tongue Dutch than excited-German.
