7 months ago
94 European football expert Kevin Hatchard has shared why he believes the appointment of Arne Slot would be an exciting one for Liverpool fans.
Arne Slot has emerged as the favourite to take over from Jurgen Klopp at Anfield this summer.
Liverpool have been linked with a host of managers, including the likes of Xabi Alonso and Ruben Amorim.
Alonso confirmed his desire to stay at Bayer Leverkusen last month while a move for Amorim looks unlikely.
It’s led to the Reds identifying Slot as their preferred choice, with sources in Holland claiming the process to appoint the Feyenoord boss could move quickly.
The 45-year-old currently has Feyenoord sitting second in the Eredivisie after lifting the league title last year.
Slot was heavily linked with a move to Tottenham last summer but opted to remain with the Dutch outfit and penned a new deal.
It’s fair to say that many Liverpool fans will be unfamiliar with Feyenoord’s style of play under Slot and Kevin Hatchard has offered a detailed insight into the Dutchman’s attacking approach.
What Liverpool fans can expect from Arne Slot
Speaking on talkSPORT, Hatchard shared why he believes Slot could be a good fit for Liverpool.
“What’s really interesting about this is that you might remember he was linked really solidly with the Tottenham job before they turned to Ange Postecoglou,” the European football expert said.
“This is a guy that’s been linked with a number of top jobs and he’s seen as somebody who’s a bit of a rising star in the coaching fraternity.
“I think what’s interesting about the link with Liverpool is that he does play attacking football. He can play 4-3-3 or 4-3-2-1. You look at some of the players Liverpool have, they’d be a good fit for the way that he wants to play, and it has been pretty much unbroken success for him.”
When asked if Slot would be able to handle the pressure of replacing Klopp, Hatchard praised the Feyenoord boss’ man-management skills.
“That’s going to be tough for anybody [replacing Klopp],” he said. “But in terms of his personality, he comes across in a very relaxed way. His English is very good.
“So, communication wouldn’t be an issue. He’s very honest with his players. If you listen to players who’ve worked with him and who continue to work with him, they speak very highly of him.
“So I think man-management isn’t a problem and in terms of the fans wanting to see good football, they’d absolutely see that because he wants to play attacking football, he wants to be super aggressive without the ball.
“If you look at his teams, they win the ball high up the pitch a lot. So you look at the numbers, they are right up there with Liverpool in terms of that kind of style of play.
“Attacking full-backs. So obviously they’ve got Trent Alexander Arnold, Andy Robertson, Conor Bradley. They fit that mould in terms of the kind of attacking fullbacks that he likes.
“So there’s a lot that overlaps here and I can see why Liverpool would have him on their list.”
Slot’s record in the Eredivisie
Slot has taken charge of a total of 202 games in the Dutch league during spells at AZ Alkmaar and Feyenoord.
At Alkmaar, he won 32 of his 58 games in the dugout, averaging 1.93 points per game.
His record has improved during his three years at Feyenoord, winning 93 games from 144.
Slot has picked up an average of 2.13 points per game at the Rotterdam club and guided them into the Champions League this season.
At 45, Slot is still relatively inexperienced and has managed for just one season in the Champions League.
While this would be widely viewed as a risky appointment from Liverpool, it could turn out to be an exciting one.
His style of football would likely go down well with the Liverpool faithful and their current squad seems well-suited to his demands.
The post ‘Interesting’: European football expert shares what Liverpool fans can expect from Arne Slot if he replaces Klopp appeared first on TBR Football.
