Ex-Arsenal striker Ian Wright says he is “excited” about what Arne Slot can bring to Liverpool.
The Dutchman is set to replace Jurgen Klopp in the Anfield dugout at the end of the season but, after managing Feyenoord in the Netherlands, there have been concerns that he may lack the experience needed for English football. Wright says that if Slot is to succeed with the Reds, he will need to learn from the mistakes made by his fellow compatriot Erik ten Hag at Manchester United:
“We saw that with ten Hag and how it hasn’t worked out for him at Manchester United. I think the way this guy comes in, and I have heard about him coaching. How he loves being out there and the players like what he does. Whether that can translate into the Premier League and it can work here. I don’t think that transitional high pressing can (work). You have to have something else to sustain it.”
“This is why we are looking at ten Hag and the way he plays and it can’t work. I think, with this guy, what he has done and going to that club. I am quite excited for them simply because it’s a massive club. I hope that it can work out.”
Appointing Slot is a gamble
There is no getting away from the fact that Michael Edwards is taking a risk by hiring the 45-year-old. There are no guarantees that his philosophy will adapt well to the Premier League.
As Wright mentions, Slot must avoid the pitfalls that ten Hag has encountered. The Manchester United boss has failed to implement a recognisable style of play since his arrival at Old Trafford in 2022.
Liverpool do have a squad capable of winning things
Some supporters may argue that the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Mo Salah are somewhat over the hill, but a lot of good work was done in the transfer window last summer to rebalance the age of the first team.
Slot won’t have to oversee a major rebuild. With the likes of Darwin Nunez, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ibrahima Konate all 24 years of age or younger, he has a core group of players about to hit their prime.