Anfield Watch
·26 novembre 2024
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·26 novembre 2024
Arne Slot’s arrival at Liverpool was surrounded by uncertainty, but the Dutchman has proven himself and now looks like a phenomenal appointment.
When Jurgen Klopp announced he would be stepping down as Liverpool boss a media frenzy began, with everyone speculating over who could lead the Reds next.
Former player Xabi Alonso was initially the favourite for the job, but after he ruled himself out of the running it was Ruben Amorim who was the apparent frontrunner.
Despite the heavy speculation, Liverpool did not opt for Amorim and instead appointed Arne Slot, a decision that now looks genius.
After a very public visit to London to speak to West Ham, Amorim quickly fell off Liverpool’s radar and decided to stay put at Sporting CP.
Only months later however, the former Portuguese international agreed a deal that would see him in the dugout at Old Trafford.
The 39-year-old has only had one game in charge of the Red Devils, a 1-1 draw against Ipswich at Portman Road, but already the scale of the job at Manchester United is starting to be apparent.
Amorim’s side took the lead in under two minutes but failed to capitalise after that, playing a very open game until eventually Ipswich were able to draw level just before halftime.
Following the disappointing draw, Amorim’s first post-match interview as a Premier League manager was gatecrashed by global music icon Ed Sheeran, part-owner of Ipswich, which only piled on the misery for the United boss.
Some Reds will have been disappointed last spring when it was announced that Slot would take the Liverpool job and not Amorim, but no one will be thinking that now.
Slot’s competitive debut as Liverpool boss also happened to be against Ipswich at Portman Road, but the Reds emerged 2-0 victors and now sit top of both the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League, whilst United sit in 12th in the Premier League and are 15th in the Europa League.
Immediately Amorim has implemented his preferred 3-4-2-1 system at Manchester United, something he would have presumably done had he been appointed Liverpool boss.
This would have been a problem for the Reds, whose squad is very much set up for a back-four and wing play.
Slot's first transfer window wasn’t a spectacular overhaul, with Federico Chiesa the only actual addition to the playing squad, and presumably the Reds wouldn’t have spent big on a new centre-half had Amorim arrived.
This means that Liverpool may have dodged a bullet by not appointing Amorim, who is now trying to make a back three of Noussair Mazraoui, Matthijs de Ligt and Jonny Evans work for United.
Liverpool will be satisfied with their decision to appoint Slot, a head coach who already has the squad ready to compete, whilst Amorim looks doomed for midtable mediocrity after only one game.