Arne Slot mightn’t have been the instantaneous first choice of many Liverpool fans at the time that Jurgen Klopp announced that he’d be leaving Anfield at the end of the season, but one journalist believes that the Dutchman’s seemingly impending appointment could be ‘exciting’.
After previous favourites Xabi Alonso and Ruben Amorim fell by the wayside, the Feyenoord boss now seems poised to take over from the German, and he’s already spoken of his enthusiasm to manage the Reds.
Speaking to EOTK Insider, Neil Jones has claimed that the uncertainty about the 45-year-old which has prompted some scepticism could actually be a good thing in terms of the potential to deliver ‘pleasant surprises’ from a tactical and player development point of view.
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The journalist said of Slot: “He’s relatively new to management, isn’t he? A hungry manager who has been given the opportunity to take the next step with a squad that’s in a pretty similar position. The combination you’re putting together there is probably the most exciting part from my perspective.
“The unknown is also an exciting part. I might be saying something different in a couple of months’ time. If Liverpool had appointed Unai Emery instead, for example, there’s an element of strapping yourself in for what you know you’re likely going to get, but this is a move where there’s a lot we don’t fully understand about this guy or how he’ll transfer over.
“That still gives you room for potential and pleasant surprises or things you haven’t even thought about. You might see four or five players that you didn’t really see as being top players just emerging and loving working under this manager.
“You might see Harvey Elliott suddenly starting every game and excelling as a No.10, you might see Stefan Bajcetic coming in and getting the best out of him.”
Even if Alonso had come to Liverpool off the back of his runaway Bundesliga triumph with Bayer Leverkusen, his appointment would still be a gamble after Klopp’s glorious reign at Anfield, and expectations on him to deliver would likely have been through the roof.
With Slot, who’s more of an unknown quantity but still enjoyed tangible success at Feyenoord, there won’t be the same expectancy level to come in and instantly replicate what the German has done.
Thinking back to when the 56-year-old was appointed at LFC in 2015, some of the accusations being labelled at his would-be successor now (no Premier League experience, never been at a club as big as the Reds) were also cited about the man who went on to make us champions of England, Europe and the world.
As Jones has hinted, having a new man in charge could truly unlock the potential of young players and invigorate those who hadn’t been thriving previously, although it’s a mystery to us how someone wouldn’t be inspired or motivated by working under Klopp.
Slot is a gamble, that’s for sure, but everything about Michael Edwards’ track record suggests that he won’t hire anyone at Liverpool unless he’s as confident as could be that they’d be the right fit for the club. Think of it as a meticulously calculated risk rather than a hopeful, pot luck throwing of the dice.