Thierry Henry admission he gets tired watching Liverpool sums up Arne Slot’s problem

The Dutchman is in his first month as Reds boss after Klopp decided to quit following nine years at the helm. Slot not only has the challenge of trying to replicate Klopp’s infectious personality, but also implementing a style of play that will garner the same respect from fans, pundits and rivals alike.

Liverpool became one of the most feared teams in world football thanks to Klopp’s high-intensity football which impressed many throughout his nine-year tenure, including Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, who admitted watching a seemingly inexhaustible Liverpool team left him feeling “tired”.

Speaking in February 2020, Henry – who is the manager of the France national under-21 and Olympic football teams – waxed lyrical about Klopp’s footballing philosophy. He said: “The intensity, the rhythm that you have in the Premier League, it’s very high,” Henry told French television channel Canal Plus.

“You see, when you watch Liverpool, even just watching them, you get tired. They move so quickly. When you go to Manchester City, before you have even looked up, there is pressing on you. If you control the ball, there are already three guys around you. The Premier League’s intensity is immense.”

The Dutchman has a tough job on his hands succeeding Jurgen Klopp at Anfield ( Image: Getty Images)
Slot’s style of football isn’t all that different to Klopp’s and both men tend to favour a 4-3-3 formation. The Dutchman has a similarly demanding way of playing that was on show during his time at Feyenoord, who pressed with an almost identical gusto to Klopp’s Liverpool.

But following in the footsteps of a club legend like the German will bring its own challenges. Nevertheless, Slot has revealed how he was told by his predecessors and his assistant, Pep Lijnders, that he’d have a good crop of youngsters to work with at Anfield, which should help bed in his transition.