Arne Slot

[peterbread]

I’m really enjoying the flexibility in style of the team’s play. There is a first choice if you want but Slot seems very happy to change it around. The little changes in the midfield three setup. Happy to see Trent staying wide yesterday to whip in those crosses. And the attack yesterday was a new one with Diaz dropping and floating and Dom playing ahead of him at times.

And the biggest compliment I can give him I haven’t once sat there thinking what would Klopp have done, we would have won if Klopp was there. To be honest a bit the opposite with the more controlled nature and better defensive setup thinking what the team could have done with a bit more control at times under Klopp. No knock on Klopp obviously.

[dom9]

I just think of City and their lumberring lump at the top. He offers literally nothing apart from shots on goal (and goals). He can't drop deep, he can't link up play, he can't dribble, he can't cross and he doesn't really tackle. He's really limited, but limited to scoring an exceptional number of goals.

It's a stark difference to our front line.

[peterbread]

https://www.thetimes.com/article/aff4dd1e-7331-4476-bc03-825f8120c4f9?shareToken=6de8804093cce888eb5b258d8fc30587

Interesting read especially the data about distance covered.

[Norbs]

For those with less than a week to read it all

Liverpool rank 20th in the PL this season for total distance covered, Klopp's side last year were 9th

High Speed runs we rank 11th, Klopp was 3rd last season.

Cheers for finding the article, I'd asked this question earlier in the week. Basically means we are fresher by far and that can only be a good thing going in to the second half of the season

[SB]

For those with less than a week to read it all

Liverpool rank 20th in the PL this season for total distance covered, Klopp's side last year were 9th

High Speed runs we rank 11th, Klopp was 3rd last season.

Cheers for finding the article, I'd asked this question earlier in the week. Basically means we are fresher by far and that can only be a good thing going in to the second half of the season

I love a good paraphrase :handshake

[Norbs]

I love a good paraphrase

You're welcome

[SB]

You're welcome

Keep up the good work.

[Paul12]

I love a good paraphrase :handshake

Right, on that basis I hope you'll appreciate me paraphrasing your comment:
"I'm a lazy sod and/or struggle with long sentences."

[labourRed]

https://www.thetimes.com/article/aff...5b258d8fc30587

Interesting read especially the data about distance covered.

Also some coverage on Slot's style by Lewis Steele last week.

An injury whisperer, soft rock and 'periodisation': How Arne Slot burnout-proofed Liverpool to prevent another second-half collapse

Jurgen Klopp called it 'heavy metal football' and his right-hand man, Pep Lijnders, once had the phrase 'intensity is our identity' put up in lettering outside the dressing room at Anfield.

The old regime was famed for its breakneck, high-octane, bang-bang-bang style. It blew teams away, even last term when many would fancy their chances and be leading at Liverpool only to succumb to the quick one-two of goals and be losing before they could pause for thought.

Klopp's relentless style was the making of this team, who he turned from a laughing stock and sleeping giant to a behemoth of Europe once more ready to fight for the biggest prizes. But, whisper it quietly, this simultaneously may have contributed to their downfall in several seasons.

One year ago today, Liverpool were top, five points clear of both Arsenal and Manchester City, their main title rivals. Champions City achieved a 14-point swing on that to finish nine clear of the Reds, the Gunners ending up seven ahead.

A reminder, if needed, that nothing is won yet and 60 points are still to play for. It may look like a foregone conclusion to outside observers that Liverpool will romp to the title – but that is certainly not the case in the mind of Arne Slot.

Last term, burnout was certainly a leading factor behind their title bid crumbling, as were subsequent injuries, Mohamed Salah's form fading, a leaky defence and, well, the relentlessness of City who did not lose after December 6.

So, a year on… have lessons been learned? Can Slot's style and attention to detail help Liverpool go one better – or is this first half-season too good to be true? Will the Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid saga derail their title tilt? And what if Salah's hot streak ends?

The first thing to address is that, even if one or two of the above come to fruition, Liverpool could still triumph. That is thanks to the competitors… or lack thereof. Arsenal do not look as formidable as last year, especially with Bukayo Saka's injury.

Chelsea are, by boss Enzo Maresca's own words, not in the conversation. Recent results have proved him to be spot on.

For those fans mentally scarred by City's post-New Year hot streaks in recent years, even if they won every game the champions would only finish on 88 points – fewer than the tally needed to win it in all but one season since Pep Guardiola's arrival on these shores.

And given Leicester's 5,000-1 fairytale of winning the title when tipped for relegation at the start of the season in 2015-16, we must mention high-flying Nottingham Forest who will surely fade… though they were the only team to beat Slot in 2024, with Feyenoord or Liverpool.

That 1-0 defeat at the hands of Nuno Espirito Santo's men in September, more than 110 days ago, is something that Slot still references almost daily. The performance that day clearly hurt the boss, too passive and not up to standard.

They have barely looked back since. A couple of draws along the way but the Reds form guide is mainly coloured in green, with Liverpool scoring 14 goals in the last three games alone.

Slot's style is less conducive to the aforementioned burnout. Not so much heavy metal but soft rock, still enthralling but now more a case of lulling opponents into submission with a measured, calm approach. A half-Nelson rather than Sweet Chin Music, for those old wrestling fans among us.

Props to Ruben Peeters, too, Slot's head of performance who has been described as an injury prevention expert. There is empirical evidence to back up said claim as Feyenoord had the best injury record on the continent last season.

As detailed in these pages last summer, sports science graduate Peeters and his team hand Slot dossiers each morning on the fitness of players and how far they can be pushed on the pitch. He calls it 'periodisation'.

A real-life example would be how repeated injuries were commonplace last term, with players returning to health only to be forced back on to the treatment table weeks later. Now, Slot is patient with injured stars – perhaps a result-driven luxury other bosses cannot enjoy.

Diogo Jota has been back in contention for several weeks now but is building his matchday minutes slowly and skipped some training sessions, injury-prone Alisson was given a few weeks of extra recovery when he was fit again, likewise with Harvey Elliott.

Further instances of avoiding overloading have been seen in the amount of days off the squad have. With a rare free midweek to start 2025, they were given three days away from training – good for the body but, Slot believes, also good for the mind… and it probably kept the players' families happy to boot.

Slot also scrapped Klopp's policy of the team staying together in a hotel the night before home matches. The phrase 'happy wife, happy life' is archaic but Slot may believe time with loved ones is better for a relaxed mind.

Alexis Mac Allister, a near ever-present, was allowed some annual leave of sorts recently when he was suspended for two games and he jetted off to St Moritz in the Swiss Alps. Unlike Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer suffering a mid-season skiing injury, he came back in one piece.

Key men Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Salah were also given time off when Liverpool travelled to Southampton in the Carabao Cup last month and it would be surprising to see any of them anywhere near Anfield for the visit of League Two Accrington in the FA Cup next week.

Slot is also keen on in-game rotation and he talks about 'sharing minutes'. Kostas Tsimikas for Andy Robertson is a substitution seen nearly every game, Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai often taking turns to start and a tweak to the front three usually made on the hour mark.

Given Liverpool had 21 players suffer injuries last season – topped only by Tottenham on 22 – this is undoubtedly one thing the team had to fix. Luck is of course a factor and some knocks cannot be legislated for but Slot's backroom team are minimising the chances of another crisis.

Whether physical or mental fatigue was the reason for a late-season collapse, several men saw their form tumble as the green shoots of spring were seen around the country. Ibrahima Konate, Szoboszlai and Luis Diaz are just three who have found consistency under Slot.

Then there is Ryan Gravenberch, without question the most-improved star of the new regime. Signed in late August 2023, the Dutchman struggled for minutes in his first year but has started every single league game this term, a revelation in his new deeper-lying role.

We are quick to recall Mystic Meg predictions when they come true, but forget about the ones that go awry. Here is one from this reporter in August: 'Will missing out on top transfer target Martin Zubimendi be the difference between another third-place finish and winning the league?'

How wrong we – and angry Liverpool fans online – were. With just one signing in the summer in the lesser-spotted Federico Chiesa, many thought they were ill-equipped to mount a serious challenge.

Slot was calm about the lack of business then, publicly at least, and is laughing now. His coaching has allowed Gravenberch to thrive and make fans forget about Real Sociedad's Zubimendi rejecting them, the steely defence also making a mockery of calls for a new signing.

Liverpool conceded 1.07 goals per game last season – 41 in total – and that has dropped to 0.9 now, skewed slightly by letting in three against Tottenham and Newcastle in December. Konate's recent injury has seen the defence become less solid but he is now back in training.

So the injury record has and will prevent burnout, the defence has improved, Slot's coaching has helped many inconsistent stars thrive and the title challengers are weaker. No one factor will have a bigger influence, though, than Liverpool's talisman Salah.

The Egyptian, who would not look out of place wearing a Superman cape, has been the best player in the league – and his team-mate Van Dijk may be the only one with a reasonable argument against that – with a staggering 17 goals and 13 assists in 18 league games.

Those stats may have Ruben Amorim pondering whether he would be better back in Lisbon with a pastel de nata and Super Bock in hand. Instead, he takes his Manchester United team to Anfield knowing Salah can destroy any defence, be it a back three, four, five… or even 11.

If he does score past United tomorrow, the Egyptian will match last season's goal tally with half of the league season to play. He had netted 14 league goals at this stage of last season but just four came after a New Year's Day brace over Newcastle.

Part of that was caused by his involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations, which ended early through injury – much to the disgust of Egyptians as he left their camp prematurely to recover on Merseyside.

He was never the same player after that, on or off the pitch. He had a public spat with Klopp at West Ham in April after being dropped and some pundits questioned whether his best days were behind him.

Now, he looks in better shape than ever after he was allowed to skip Egypt's Olympics campaign to focus on getting back into peak physique. With 26 games played across competitions, he is dead level with the 20 goals he had at this point of 2017-18 – when he went on to net 44 in total.

That year, they finished 25 points behind champions City, who reached a record-breaking 100. It could be the opposite this time around.

Credit to Klopp for the foundations left behind, plus the top brass Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes for laying the groundwork at a well-run club, but this is now truly Slot's team and the sky is the limit.

[labourRed]

A shorter AI version

The article analyzes Liverpool's transformation under manager Arne Slot, contrasting his calmer, calculated approach with Jurgen Klopp's high-intensity "heavy metal football." While Klopp’s style turned Liverpool into European giants, it also led to burnout and inconsistent title bids. Slot's measured tactics, in-game rotation, focus on injury prevention, and reliance on sports science have reduced fatigue and improved player consistency.

Key players like Salah, Van Dijk, and Gravenberch are thriving, with Salah enjoying a record-breaking season. Slot’s adjustments, including giving players more rest and prioritizing mental and physical recovery, have mitigated past issues. Despite weaker competition and challenges like transfer concerns and potential distractions, Liverpool is now better positioned to reclaim the Premier League title, building on Klopp's foundation while embracing Slot's innovative methods.

[Norbs]

It's a bit early to say if it's a successful burnout mitigation tactic

[Charly]

So all we had to do to become really successful, is become a bunch of lazy ****s?

So how come that has never worked for me?

The fact we are running less than everyone else and dominating makes some sense, tbh.

Klopp came to a team in 10th with less resources than City, and had to make that up. HE did so by making us fitter and harder running than the rest.

Now we have the players, Arne can just be smarter about everything, without over thinking it. We are making the opposition do all of the running while conserving our own energy, which makes a lot of sense. I think we can only judge it in 5 years, as we are in a bit of a lull across the league in terms of quality. When other teams can get their **** together we might need to up our own tempo. Perfect conditions for Slott though really. He is 11 years younger than Klopp, and seems a bit more chilled. Should be enough to dominate football for the next decade at least

[SB]

Right, on that basis I hope you'll appreciate me paraphrasing your comment:
"I'm a lazy sod and/or struggle with long sentences."

O
K


That’s 2 sentences muvver farker

[Kenneth]

Page #2

Yes, the squad is good, but it's not that good, clear at the top of the league and cl good, compared to our rivals. It's almost unbelievable that a manager with only Dutch league experience can adapt so quickly to the PL. Not only that, but off the pitch, with the media and fans, he's taken it all in his stride and looks at home at this level. What a guy!

[red g]

Have to agree Kenneth. Its almost been glossed over how good Arne is doing, As if this squad was a gimme for the title this year. Think we will have been a long 3rd favourite at best just looked it up

Manchester City: 6/4
Arsenal: 13/8
Liverpool: 13/2
Man Utd: 22/1
Spurs: 25/1
Chelsea: 25/1

Yes no one saw City implosion, But no one saw this from LIverpool either.

Hats off to Hughes and CO to dismiss the noise of bigger names linked.