Arne Slot’s first act after securing the Premier League title was to turn to the Kop and sing the name of the man who came before him at Liverpool.
‘Jurgen Klopp, la la la,’ he chanted, echoing the time the German sang Slot’s name during his Anfield farewell.
Once Slot sat down in his press conference, he explained he had wanted to return the favour for the welcome Klopp had given him. ‘That is something not one manager ever did before,’ Slot said. ‘That is what definitely helped me, but apart from that he helped me even more by the team he left behind.’
For this was still the house that Jurgen built. These were his players; Slot has just worked wonders with them.
That is no longer the case as Liverpool head to Wembley on Sunday to face Crystal Palace in the Community Shield. This is a squad now built in Slot’s image.
Flying full backs Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong have replaced the legendary duo of Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Florian Wirtz is Liverpool’s first genuine No 10 in years. The sales of Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez as well as the tragic death of Diogo Jota means only Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah remain as members of that brilliant front line, one that has now been boosted by the signing of Hugo Ekitike and perhaps further by Alexander Isak.
This all points to a shift in style. But how will that look?
HELP MO OUT
The first thing Slot needs to do is relieve some of the pressure on Salah’s shoulders. For such a thrilling attacking line last season, the club were still hugely reliant on their Egyptian King. His 57 goals and assists contributed to nearly half of all Liverpool’s 123 goals last season, by far the highest percentage of any player for a Premier League club.
Slot eased Salah’s defensive and pressing duties last season, allowing him to conserve energy – and it took the Egyptian to another level. But if Liverpool want to succeed on four fronts, they cannot rely on a 33-year-old to carry all that burden.
The arrival of Frimpong, a wing-back by trade, whose game is built on bombing forward high and wide, could help free up Salah even more, give him more support in attack when teams double up on him and also allow him to drift more centrally to support Ekitike, Wirtz and, potentially, Isak.
The average position map of Liverpool’s friendly win over Athletic Bilbao (below) shows how high Frimpong (30) was alongside Salah (11). Milos Kerkez (6) was also high up the left wing.
HOW WILL SLOT FIT THEM ALL IN?
The next puzzle is how on earth Slot fits all these new stars in, especially if Isak completes his big-money move.
For most of last season, Slot employed a 4-2-3-1 line-up. He has done the same in pre-season, with Salah, Wirtz and Gakpo behind Ekitike. If Isak is to sign, Slot will likely start the Swede up top with Ekitike moving on to the left side of the attack.
This would suit Ekitike, who even when playing up front for Frankfurt, liked to drop deep and drift towards the left before cutting in and driving at defenders with his elegant stride that has already drawn comparisons with Thierry Henry.
Given Liverpool’s blistering counter-attack last season, his speed and directness off the left could be key. No player in the Bundesliga completed as many carries that ended in a shot as Ekitike.
Isak is a far better finisher, too. Ekitike had the worst underperformance against his expected goals (xG) of any player in Europe’s Big Five Leagues last season, scoring six fewer than he should have done from the quality of his chances.
Isak likes to drop and drift, too, so if Slot wants his full backs to bomb on, Liverpool’s fluid front line could rotate, drift into the channels or form a front two. Slot could even start Ekitike and Isak up front together. Ekitike flourished at Frankfurt in a strike partnership with Omar Marmoush.
The possibilities really are endless.
WILL BOSS MAINTAIN CONTROL?
Slot inherited Klopp’s players but he transformed how they played. Gone was the German’s ‘heavy metal’ football, the relentless gegenpressing that sought chaos and embraced the storm. In its place, Slot brought more control and a better balance between risk and reward.
Less possession, fewer passes and fewer shots but more big chances and fewer conceded. Less losing the ball, so less need to win it back.
Slot’s Liverpool attempted more fast breaks than any other side last season and almost double the number in Klopp’s final season. Yet during that campaign Klopp’s team moved the ball upfield at an average of 1.93 metres per second, while Slot’s side attacked at 1.75m/s. They picked their moments.
Ekitike’s directness and the arrival of Frimpong and Kerkez alter the dynamic completely. Alexander-Arnold dictated play through his incredible passing range from right back, yet Frimpong would rather be on his bike up the flanks.
Liverpool only conceded two goals from fast breaks on their way to being crowned champions but have already been caught on the counter in pre-season. Against AC Milan in Hong Kong, Kerkez was left stranded high up the pitch, leaving acres of space behind to be exploited en route to the Italian side’s third goal.
There are few teams better primed to do that than Oliver Glasner’s Palace, whose wing-back system will have Tyrick Mitchell and Daniel Munoz ready to pounce.
The FA Cup winners will provide the perfect test of whether Slot’s new charges can maintain that perfect balance or whether the door is open for chaos to creep in once again.
