Arne Slot’s Big Liverpool Issue Is Not Jurgen Klopp

Jurgen Klopp was probably expecting to sit down in front of the world’s media to pick apart the 2-0 derby defeat to Everton.

After all, the consequence of the dismal loss at Goodison Park went well beyond local bragging rights. The beating left them trailing title rivals Arsenal by three points and, with Manchester City also lurking two ahead, left the Reds requiring slip-ups to challenge for the crown.

But the questions on almost all the reporters' lips were not picking the bones out of the Everton game, they wanted to know what he made of the man who was suddenly poised to become his replacement: Arne Slot.

After making it clear he was not involved in the recruitment process Klopp delivered his verdict.

"I like a lot about it if he is the one who wants to take the job," he said.

"I like the way his team play football, all the things I hear about him as a guy say he’s a good guy.

"I like that a lot - good guy, good coach and looking forward for the club if he is the solution. I’m more than happy, it sounds all really good."

It must be a strange feeling for the German, having to assess what will follow him whilst he still sits in the Anfield hot seat himself.

Had the last month panned out differently and Liverpool not been dumped from two of the four competitions fans were hoping he’d win, maybe the enthusiasm would have been greater.

But a disastrous end to the season has seen the Reds fall apart, defeat by Everton merely adding to the existing pain of having Manchester United end their FA Cup run and Atalanta the club’s involvement in Europe.

“Best job in the world, best club in the world,” Klopp said before adding, rather revealingly, “Now it looks like [Slot is] helped by [Liverpool] not finishing on a high so there’s space for improvement."

Billed as one of the toughest acts to follow, Slot now finds himself stepping into the shoes of a man who feels he’s underperformed.

But the Dutchman should be warned, Klopp’s legacy may well be the least of his concerns.

The Reputation Deficit

Unlike Jurgen Klopp, Slot will arrive at Anfield with a comparatively modest reputation.

Highly admired in his native Netherlands, his Eredivisie title, Dutch cup win and UEFA iShares MSCI EAFE ETF Conference League final will cut little muster amongst the demanding Reds fans.

His predecessor already had several Bundesliga’s to his name and a narrow Champions League Final when he was hired, not to mention a reputation for pioneering the gegenpressing tactical strategy.

Slot has the added ignominy of knowing former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso was the first choice and most likely would have been handed the role were he not continuing at Bayer Leverkusen.

Critics, like ex-Reds defender turned pundit Jamie Carragher, went further suggesting Slot was not in the same league as other available candidates.

"For the last nine years, Liverpool have possessed one of the top two managers in the world. They are now gambling on the next big thing rather than appointing a proven, real deal,” he wrote in British newspaper the Daily Telegraph.

"I would have given more thorough consideration to a coach like Thomas Tuchel who took on and beat Pep Guardiola in the ultimate test - a Champions League final. Tuchel followed Klopp at Mainz and Borussia Dortmund and did well.

"If another English club takes Tuchel, that would convince me they will significantly improve, but my sense is Liverpool don’t want a coach with a reputation for being fractious.

"I would prefer a proven winner who could be difficult to manage to a coach who might be easy to manage but still have everything to prove.

A man of Slot’s confidence will worry little about his reputation, a far greater concern will be the balance in the squad.

Where Did It Go Wrong?

Over the past two summers, Liverpool has attempted to hit refresh on the team which delivered Klopp the glory he will be remembered for.

Much was made of the exits of Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino from the frontline, but the departures of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson were equally significant.

Replacements Luis Dias and Darwin Nunez have failed to live up to expectations consistently, although Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis MacAlister can both be considered successes.

The problem is that the balance that made Klopp’s most successful teams fly has rarely been there.

A below-par Mohamed Salah has been culpable in a forward line which creates a lot but is inefficient in front of goal, while the midfield lacks the control provided by a top-quality defensive midfielder like Fabinho was.

Slot’s challenge will be to re-establish the stability in midfield and make the attack lethal again.

Those two tasks are far greater than concerns about Jurgen Klopp’s legacy.