“You always have to adjust the details.” – Arne Slot Discusses Liverpool’s Progress and Challenges | OneFootball

Arne Slot’s Vision for Liverpool: A New Era in the Premier League

Liverpool’s new manager, Arne Slot, has wasted no time in making an impact at Anfield. In a recent interview with Match of the Day host Gary Lineker for BBC Sport, Slot opened up about his transition to the Premier League, the challenges of replacing Jurgen Klopp, and his ambitions for Liverpool. His insights offer a fascinating glimpse into the philosophy guiding the club’s future.

Life at Liverpool: Settling Into a Footballing Giant

Arriving at a club as prestigious as Liverpool could be daunting, but for Slot, the adjustment has been smoother than expected. “The facilities are great as you expect if you join a club like Liverpool,” he told Lineker, before emphasising that success isn’t solely about infrastructure. “The people that work in this building are also very special, so if you then have a good program including good players, you can do special things.”

Despite never managing outside the Netherlands before, Slot was undeterred by the step up. “That is the biggest adjustment I had to make,” he admitted, referencing the move from Feyenoord. “But my job is especially over here, in this office, talking to my staff members… and that training pitch over there is where you try to bring your ideas across.”

Adapting to the Premier League’s Demands

Slot inherited a Liverpool squad that was already familiar with high-intensity football. However, he has made small but crucial tweaks to their play. “Probably the reason why I’m sitting here is that the club was really aware of the fact that they wanted to have a similar playing style to the one Jurgen had,” he explained. “So I didn’t have to change that much or hardly anything at all.”

Photo: IMAGO

That said, Slot acknowledged the need for evolution. “We only brought one new player in, so it’s normal that you tweak a few things. Maybe because for the simple reason we didn’t win the league last season,” he reflected. “You always have to adjust the details.”

His meticulous approach extends beyond match days. “When I took the job, I asked the analyst to send me not only a lot of games but also a lot of training sessions, just to understand how they trained, what their culture was,” he revealed. “For me, it was about being as best prepared as possible.”

The Players Making an Impression

Slot has worked with elite talent in the Eredivisie, but the level of quality in the Premier League has still managed to surprise him. “With all due respect to the players of Feyenoord, what’s the difference in the level here? A lot of them are more world-class players,” he said. “The power of their shot, how precise they are… that is another level.”

One player who has particularly impressed Slot is Virgil van Dijk. “Everybody here in England would tell you that Virgil is the best defender in the world,” he stated. “In Holland, he got a bit more criticism than he gets over here in England. But from the first day I worked with him, I was like, wow, this is definitely another level than I’m used to.”

He also highlighted Ryan Gravenberch’s rapid improvement. “Probably the one that made the step from here to here, which even I didn’t expect, is of course Ryan Gravenberch,” Slot said. “All the other ones were at this level, and they’re still at this level, but Ryan…”

Aiming for the Top: Slot’s Liverpool Ambitions

Liverpool’s ambitions under Slot are clear—compete at the highest level in both domestic and European competitions. “The target is to be with Liverpool where we think this club should be,” he stated. “We should always be competing for a league title, we should always be competing for the Champions League.”

With his current squad, Slot is confident that Liverpool are capable of challenging for silverware. “We haven’t seen us doing a lot in the transfer market in the summer or the winter,” he acknowledged. “There’s a reason for that—because we’re happy with the squad. But I do know on the background we are definitely working on strengthening the squad in the summer.”

Liverpool fans will take heart in Slot’s vision, his commitment to continuity, and his belief in the squad. The Premier League is an unforgiving battleground, but with Slot at the helm, Liverpool appear poised to remain a formidable force.