The international break has hit Liverpool fans harder than most. Supporters are desperate to get their fill of Slotball after what has been an incredible start to the new head coach’s tenure.
The Reds have been in scintillating form since Arne Slot took charge, climbing to the top of the Premier League table with nine wins out of a possible 10 in all competitions. It’s not just the results that have got fans crying out for more.
Slot has eased into life at Anfield, with his style clearly marrying well with the groundwork laid by Jurgen Klopp before his departure. FSG might not get everything right, but they certainly seem to have found the perfect replacement.
Quansah substitution
Slot’s first major test came just 45 minutes into his reign. With his side struggling to get a foothold into the opening game at Ipswich, a change was needed at half-time to break the deadlock.
Few supporters had Jarell Quansah down as the man to make way though. The 21-year-old had been one of the better performers during the first half, but Slot spotted something others didn’t.
“The first thing I said at half-time was we don’t have to speak about tactics if you lose so many duels, and that’s what we did,” Slot told reporters after the game. “It’s not that Jarell lost every duel, many of us lost too many duels, so we needed Konate to win these long balls in the air towards their No.9 [Liam Delap], so that helped and gave us control.”
Ibrahima Konate was introduced, and the change worked to perfection. Liverpool took control of proceedings, recording a 2-0 win that set the tone for a brilliant start to the season.
The change from Klopp to Slot has seen subtle changes made on the pitch, but one thing that has stayed its course is the high press that was exhibited in the previous regime.
That was never more evident than in the 3-0 demolition of Manchester United as Slot outsmarted his compatriot Erik ten Hag, ensuring Liverpool didn’t make the same mistakes as last season when they failed to beat a very poor side.
“We always want to press high. That’s what Jurgen did. That’s what we try to continue,” Slot said after the game. “And we scored a few goals from a high press – [including] one disallowed.”
Key to the victory was the very deliberate targeting of Casemiro. The Brazilian endured an absolute nightmare against the Reds, with both of the first-half goals coming from his mistakes as Liverpool’s attackers gave him no peace.
United though didn’t learn their lessons, even after their hapless midfielder was hauled off, and Liverpool piled on the misery as they pounced upon Kobbie Mainoo to grab the third.
“Their full-backs are sometimes really high and then Casemiro comes in between [the center-backs],” explained Slot. “So if you pick the ball and you keep Luis Diaz and Mo Salah high you’re constantly in a one-v-one situation.”
Slot has emphasized the need to control possession, but here was a clear indicator of why FSG had identified him as the perfect man to take over from Klopp, with the Dutchman able to continue what the German had mastered during his tenure.
Gravenberch’s new role
Few would have expected to get 10 games into the campaign and be looking at Ryan Gravenberch as the player of the season so far.
The former Ajax star had a tricky first season at Anfield, impressing in patches but ultimately not quite reaching the heights expected of him. It was difficult to see how he would get into the team, especially with Liverpool targeting a transfer for Martin Zubimendi.
When that fell through though, a door opened, and Gravenberch has not looked back since.
The 22-year-old has been simply sensational since Slot moved him into the No.6 role, where he operates in a double pivot alongside Alexis Mac Allister. It’s a move that had been originally suggested by Klopp, but it would be his successor that perfected it.
Bigger tests are still to come for Gravenberch, but if he maintains the same levels against the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal, Richard Hughes might be left wondering why he ever bothered contacting Zubimendi.
Szoboszlai’s work rate
The jury is out among Liverpool supporters about Dominik Szoboszlai this season. The Hungarian is clearly a first-choice for Slot in his midfield, but there is room for improvement, not least in his goal tally.
Where he can’t be doubted though is in his sheer work rate in the No.10 role. Szoboszlai has been pivotal in Slot getting his aggressive style of winning the ball back through to the pitch.
Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch have made superb start to the season under Arne Slot
“You need midfielders that can run and we had three of them today that kept on running, and if you arrive in a duel they are aggressive enough to win it,” Slot said after the win over United.
After a mixed first season, which ended with him being relegated to the bench as Harvey Elliott shone, Szoboszlai needed a bright start to this campaign. While he maybe hasn’t quite met the standards for some, Slot has got him playing in the perfect position to utilize that high work rate – even if he is slightly concerned about the sheer amount of effort he’s putting in.
Players in their best positions
From the moment he arrived at Anfield, Slot was facing a question that, quite frankly, Klopp seemed to have gotten bored of.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s best position has been a talking point since the dawn of time, or at least it’s felt that way. He had shifted more toward midfield over the past couple of years via an inverted role from right-back, but there were still those arguing that he should make the permanent move to the engine room.
Those calls quietened down dramatically during the summer as Alexander-Arnold was made the scapegoat for England’s poor performances at Euro 2024, which almost certainly made Slot’s decision much easier. He wasn’t the only player with a question mark over his position though.
Cody Gakpo had been utilized as a No.9 by Klopp, but it was clear he wasn’t quite comfortable in the role. Returning to his natural spot on the left for the Netherlands demonstrated exactly where he needed to be playing for his club.
It’s one thing to take note of those hints though, and another to actually take action. From the moment he took charge, Slot has ensured both Alexander-Arnold and Gakpo are in their most effective positions.
There have been the odd forays into midfield for Alexander-Arnold, but ever since that first press conference, it has been clear that Slot has a plan in place to get the best out of his players. Long may that continue.
