Arne Slot is an “underwhelming” appointment by Liverpool and will go the same way as Erik ten Hag at Manchester United, according to Richard Keys.
Slot is set to succeed Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool this summer after the Reds agreed compensation with Feyenoord for the Dutchman. The 45-year-old has impressed Liverpool’s decision-makers by winning the Eredivisie last season and lifting the Dutch Cup on the weekend.
Fenway Sports Group chief Michael Edwards and incoming Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes are so keen on Slot that they are forking out a compensation package that could reach £13million. They have moved quickly to get ahead of potential competition from Bayern Munich, who are replacing Thomas Tuchel this summer.
Slot has many admirers, but Keys and his beINSPORTS colleague Andy Gray are not among them. Asked to assess Liverpool’s decision, former Everton striker Gray said: “Right out of left-field. I have no idea where it came from. If you’d given me 30 guesses two weeks ago to name the new Liverpool manager, Arne Slot’s name wouldn’t have been in there.”
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Keys then added: “I’m trying to put myself in the shoes of Liverpool fans. Am I excited? No. Am I surprised? Yes. I’m underwhelmed if I’m honest, seriously. I couldn’t give you the name of a Dutch manager who has succeeded in our league yet. There have been one or two, like [Guus] Hiddink or [Louis] van Gaal and Ruud Gullit, who have had limited success, but nobody over a period of time has had sustained success. I think he’s Erik ten Hag in disguise.”
Slot’s credentials were defended by former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel, who believes he will be a good fit for Liverpool because he plays a similar style of football at Feyenoord. “I think he’s a fantastic manager,” Mikel said. “I think he’s done really well at Feyenoord, he’s got his team playing really well. It’s the sort of football that the Liverpool fans like – front-foot, attacking, scoring goals.”
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Gray butted in to add: “That’s exactly the description that Manchester United fans got when Erik ten Hag was introduced to them. ‘Great, he’s a manager that plays on the front foot and plays pressing football’ and he’s not delivered.”
Mikel responded: “Yeah, but he’s got the players to do that [at Liverpool]. He’s got quick players. If they’re all going to be there – [Darwin] Nunez, [Luis] Diaz, [Diogo] Jota, I think [Mohamed] Salah might be leaving, but he’s got the players to play the sort of football that Liverpool fans want. To be on the front foot, attacking, being aggressive and scoring goals.”
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