Ruud Gullit Praises Liverpool’s Identity-Driven Approach Under Arne Slot | OneFootball

Liverpool’s Blueprint: Why Ruud Gullit Believes Slot’s Success is No Accident

When Arne Slot lifted the Premier League trophy at Anfield, it wasn’t just the culmination of a season’s work. It was the realisation of a long-term idea — one Liverpool had quietly nurtured since Jürgen Klopp first walked through the doors. Slot’s success was not lightning in a bottle. It was legacy, refined.

The Dutchman, arriving from Feyenoord, inherited more than just Klopp’s squad. He stepped into a structure. A footballing identity that had been restored and reinvigorated by the German coach — and critically, one that the club chose to preserve rather than replace.

While many questioned whether anyone could possibly follow Klopp, Liverpool instead focused on continuity. Not through sentiment, but through logic. They found someone whose football resonated with the ethos Klopp had embedded. The pressing. The pace. The passion. Slot hasn’t cloned his predecessor — there are tweaks, tactical refinements — but the heart of the team remains unmistakably Liverpool.

Gullit’s Praise Reflects Broader Issues in Football Culture

Ruud Gullit, speaking on Stick to Football, perfectly captured why this matters. “What I like, for instance, for Liverpool is that Klopp gave you a DNA, it’s what Liverpool is all about, now they’ve got another coach who did exactly the same,” the former Ballon d’Or winner explained.

“There is a slight difference tactically, technically almost the same way. That’s what you need to do, you don’t need to get a new coach who does something totally different, you have to build on that same DNA, and what I see with a lot of clubs is that they lose that.”

Gullit’s words echo with frustration at modern football’s impatience. Clubs lurch from one ideology to the next, with identity too often sacrificed for short-term success. Chelsea and Manchester United have become case studies in confusion. Manchester City, for all their trophies, have built success more on Pep Guardiola’s singular brilliance than a deep-rooted cultural template.

Long-Term Thinking Should Be Every Club’s Aspiration

Liverpool’s approach should not be radical. It should be the norm. When Klopp restored the values of the club — intensity, collectiveness, and courage — it wasn’t marketing fluff. It was a footballing philosophy, embedded through recruitment, coaching, and mindset.

Slot’s arrival wasn’t just about finding the best manager available. It was about finding the best manager for Liverpool. That distinction matters. Clubs often mistake star power for suitability. Liverpool looked for synergy — and found it.

In a sport obsessed with immediacy, Liverpool committed to identity. And they were rewarded not only with stability but success. Slot’s title win isn’t just validation of his quality. It’s proof that a coherent, consistent philosophy can span regimes.

Lessons for Clubs Chasing Their Own Identity

What Liverpool have shown under Klopp and now Slot is that culture matters. It’s not a slogan or a soundbite — it’s the spine of a successful club. Identity isn’t built in weeks, and it shouldn’t be discarded in months. The Reds have offered a modern-day blueprint for others to follow: know who you are, build accordingly, and stay true when challenges come.

And as Ruud Gullit rightly suggests, that’s what too many teams miss. Liverpool, instead, remembered what they stand for — and built on it.