The pair both managed in the Dutch Eredivisie before making the switch to English football. Ten Hag impressed as Ajax boss, especially in their 2018/19 Champions League run, which saw them stun Real Madrid 4-1 at the Bernabeu as they progressed to the semi-finals of the competition.
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Arne Slot’s achievements were more domestic, almost winning the league with unlikely challengers AZ Alkmaar before the season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, in the 2022/23 season, Feyenoord won the Eredivisie by seven points under the new Liverpool boss. He did reach the UEFA Conference League final with Feyenoord but was beaten by Jose Mourinho's Roma.
The Dutch pair have faced each other four times in competitive fixtures throughout their time spent in the Netherlands.
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Slot did the double over the current United boss during AZ’s title-challenging campaign, but Ten Hag returned the favour, beating the Liverpool boss’ Feyenoord twice in his final season as Ajax coach, leaving their head-to-head record even at two wins each.
Speaking to Sky Sports about the comparisons between the Dutch managers, Pascal Jansen, Slot's assistant at AZ, and someone who did his UEFA Pro Licence alongside Ten Hag said: “They do have the same hairstyle, but if you look at them personality-wise, I think Erik is a little bit more within himself and Arne is more known for being a little bit more eccentric.
“[Ten Hag’s Premier League experience] will help him. It is something that Arne now has to experience."
Commenting about Slot’s playing style, Jansen said: “Out of possession, it is going to be a spectacle, it is going to be high energy, like Liverpool is very well known for. So, that will be quite similar.
“Maybe some details will change, but getting the interaction with the fans when out of possession was something that he also created here in Holland with Feyenoord. And it was also something that we created when we were working together at AZ.”
Ten Hag was vocal about the Liverpool boss’ time at Feyenoord earlier this summer, when speaking to Voetbal International, he said: “[Liverpool's style] suits Arne Slot completely.[But] people have been going overly lyrical about Feyenoord.”
This comment follows last season's Eredivisie, where Feyenoord were well beaten to the title by PSV. The game is crucial for both managers as they look to start the campaign on the right note.
If Liverpool were to be defeated, it would be the first setback for Slot and a chance to see how he solves new challenges, but if the Reds were to triumph, significant questions about Ten Hag’s future may be asked after a poor start to the season.
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