By Martyn Herman
April 27 (Reuters) – Twenty four hours after Juergen Klopp’s emotional Liverpool farewell, Arne Slot was handed the seemingly impossible mission of trying to fill the void left by the charismatic Kop idol.
Klopp’s high-octane football and his passion for the city, not to mention the seven major trophies he delivered in his nine years on Merseyside, including the Champions League and a first English title for 30 years, elevated him alongside the likes of club icons Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley.
Slot would have been only too aware that succeeding serial trophy winners at England’s biggest clubs can be a poisoned chalice, just ask David Moyes who began the post-Alex Ferguson era at Manchester United or Unai Emery, the man who replaced Arsene Wenger at Arsenal. Neither lasted long.
But Slot has made the transition look like a Sunday morning stroll in Stanley Park.
Tasked with turning what had been a two-horse race for the past two seasons between Manchester City and Arsenal into a three-horse race, expectations of the relatively under-the-radar Slot from those outside the club were low.
When BBC Sport’s army of pundits were asked before the season which club would win the league, none of the 30 responders opted for Liverpool.
Yet any doubts about Liverpool’s decision to recruit Slot from Feyenoord were erased in the season’s opening weeks.
With Klopp’s squad, barring the signing of Federico Chiesa who has hardly featured, Slot won eight of his first 10 Premier League games in charge — the best start by a new manager in Liverpool’s history.
Helped by City’s drastic decline in form and Arsenal’s levelling off, a clinical Liverpool have been top of the table for all but one week since Sept. 28, losing only two games.
One criticism that could be levelled at Slot is an FA Cup exit at the hands of second-tier Plymouth Argyle and a disappointing League Cup final loss to Newcastle United.
They also lost to Paris St Germain on penalties in an enthralling Champions League last-16 tie, but delivering a 20th English title to match the record held for so long by arch-rivals Manchester United is what the fans desired most and means Slot now joins an elite club.
Only five managers have won the Premier League in their debut season in English football — the others being Jose Mourinho (Chelsea), Carlo Ancelotti (Chelsea), Manuel Pellegrini (Manchester City) and Antonio Conte (Chelsea).
Those being churlish may hark back to the Klopp era and suggest that Slot’s disciplined side lack the same style, flair and ability to create glorious chaos on the field.
Not that Slot would care too much about that and the fact that Liverpool have registered two or more goals in all but five of their 34 league games and top the scoring charts makes a mockery of accusations they have been dull to watch.
Crucially, after inheriting a squad full of world class players, Slot’s quiet self-confidence meant he could resist any temptation to re-invent the wheel, instead calmly going about putting his own stamp on Klopp’s blueprint.
“He hasn’t tried to impersonate Klopp in any way,” former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher said when asked how Slot has made the transition so smooth this season.
“There has been a calmness about him, and the club. He didn’t think he needed to buy anybody. There’s been a lot of turmoil around other big clubs, but at Liverpool this season it always feels like they have been in control.”
Forward Mohamed Salah has thrived under Slot, given more licence to remain in dangerous areas and conserve energy in the knowledge that those in the engine room were working overtime.
Virgil van Dijk continues to be a colossus for Liverpool at the back, as does Alisson in goal.
New heroes have stepped out from the shadows under Slot too. Hungary’s all-round midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai runs himself into the ground week in, week out, while the emergence of holding midfielder Ryan Gravenberch as arguably Liverpool’s most influential player is testament to Slot’s man management skills.
While Liverpool have cruised to the title this season, Slot will be fully aware that standing still is not an option and while the fact that Salah and Van Dijk have agreed new contracts is a huge boost, squad strengthening will need to happen.
“There is a big job to be done in the summer. He will really put his imprint on this team next season,” Carragher said.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman Editing by Toby Davis)
