What looked like the impossible job following Jurgen Klopp’s departure has been made to look a lot easier by Slot, who has led his side to the top of the Premier League and the Champions League’s opening phase, as well as the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.
Man City and Arsenal woes should be a warning to Arne Slot as title race roller coaster goes on
Of course, there is still a long way to go in the season, with some huge games lying in wait after the international break, but Slot can be rightfully delighted with his efforts so far – and it’s clear that he is rated highly among his contemporaries.
Here is what some of the managers Liverpool have come up against this season have had to say on Slot’s impact, with some of the biggest names around in agreement.
Pep Guardiola
Guardiola is yet to come up against Slot’s Liverpool, but the Manchester City boss will no doubt have been paying attention to the Reds’ new era, having admitted back in September that he needed to watch more of the Dutchman’s side.
"When I play a new club in the Champions League that I don't know, I see much more than playing against Arsenal, for example,” Guardiola said.
“Of course I want to watch Arsenal a lot, but Mikel has been there four or five years. And before with Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool. Now I have to watch more Liverpool because of Arne: I don't know exactly what they do. But with Jurgen, we knew each other better.
“When I was younger, I watched much, much more than now. Now I'm lazier. I think I watch well enough to understand what the opponents want to do. I try to choose the right footage to show my players, to convince them of what to do to try and beat them."
Mikel Arteta
The Arsenal boss has the proud boast of being just one of two managers to take points off Liverpool this season, with his side drawing 2-2 at the Emirates last month.
“Arne’s a really good manager,” Arteta said before the game. “He’s inherited a team that is successful and given it his touch to maintain and evolve in the direction he believes is the right way to do it.
“For me, they are one of the best teams in the last decade and certainly the history of this Premier League, because they competed against a team (Manchester City) that was creating record after record and they were consistently there.
“That shows a lot of relentless and winning mentality to consistently believe, even if some people feel you could not reach it.
“That’s a big credit to them and they have done the work with a clear identity, so that’s something remarkable in my opinion.”
Kieran McKenna
McKenna handed Slot his first competitive test as Liverpool boss, and his Ipswich side gave the Reds a run for their money before eventually falling to a 2-0 defeat on the opening day.
“Liverpool, the quality of the execution of the two goals, the first goal especially,” McKenna said. “We did not do that many things wrong but we were one or two yards off on our pressure in a couple of different positions and that’s how ruthless it can be.
“They’ve [the supporters] seen the level of one of the best teams in the league and we’ll all learn from it as a club and we’ll go again.”
Thomas Frank
Brentford were the visitors for Slot’s first league game at Anfield, which the Reds won 2-0, with Frank seeing similarities between the new head coach and Klopp.
“It is the same players, they have been playing the same way for eight or nine years, not all of them but a lot of them,” Frank said.
“They still have crazy quality all over the pitch. They are still dangerous on offensive transitions, they scored two goals from that.
Man City and Arsenal woes should be a warning to Arne Slot as title race roller coaster goes on
“There was a few little bits in the structure and the build-up play – they were the bigger differences.”
Erik ten Hag
Slot contributed to the downfall of Ten Hag at Manchester United after romping to a 3-0 win at Old Trafford. Ahead of that game, Ten Hag didn't have too much to say on his fellow Dutchman, although he did admit to Slot's side being stronger.
"They are a mature team with players who have played together for a long time and are very experienced," Ten Hag commented. "We are much more mixed and we have to build a new team."
"(Liverpool) are a team who are clear in the relationship among their players. It's what (new manager Arne Slot) has inherited. It was built over the last few years."
Arne Slot got the better of Erik ten Hag during their only encounter in the Premier League
Arne Slot got the better of Erik ten Hag during their only encounter in the Premier League
Nuno Espirito Santo
The Nottingham Forest boss is the only manager to boast a win over Liverpool this season, much to Slot's chagrin. Despite that, Nuno had plenty of kind words about the Reds after the game.
"Liverpool are so good, you cannot play them and ignore the quality they have," he said. "Defensively we were really good. It was impossible for our wingers to last 90 minutes, they had to track the runners so we needed fresh legs in the second half.
"We played well, we controlled the game in the right moments and harmed them. This is a moment to enjoy for our fans. It doesn't last long but our fans are amazing and this is a big help for the players."
Gary O’Neil
Wolves ran Liverpool close at Molineux in September, with the Reds coming away with a 2-1 win despite not quite being at their best. Nevertheless, former Liverpool youth coach O'Neil was very complimentary about Slot ahead of the game.
“He is excellent, coaching-wise and the way he sets his team up,” O’Neil said. “It’s not a surprise to me that he has started well.Liverpool is very well run and very well organized, there’s no real mess there to go in and fix. He has gone into a well-run football club with a good squad and he’s a good coach.”
Xabi Alonso
The man who many thought would be in charge of Liverpool right now at the start of the year, Alonso was handed a major lesson when his Bayer Leverkusen side was beaten 4-0 at Anfield just last week. The former Reds midfielder though clearly thinks highly of the man who ended up replacing Klopp.
“Liverpool are in a great moment. I followed Arne Slot when he was at Feyenoord. I know his approach. That combined with the intensity here at Liverpool is a nice mixture," Alonso said before the game.
“That’s why they are top of the Premier League and the Champions League. In all areas they are strong.
“The manager has done a fantastic job in the past three months. For us it’s a big challenge to come here. At the moment Liverpool are one of the best if not the best team in Europe. We have our plan so let’s see what happens.”
Liverpool's most recent victory over Aston Villa has left them in a superb position in the Premier League, where they sit five points clear. Emery was unable to stop the Reds from overpowering his side on the counter, despite feeling little had changed under Slot from Klopp's time in charge.
“In some tactical things they have maybe changed something but they are playing with the same players, playing very well," Emery said before the game.
“The style we clearly can watch but more or less it’s the same power they had before. Astute tactically and offensively they are really a very strong team, collectively and individually as well. Tomorrow is a huge challenge for us to stop them, to play with our personality.”
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