Arne Slot's playing style: What Liverpool fans can expect as new head coach confirmed

Arne Slot has been confirmed as Liverpool's new head coach. With such a tough act to follow in the shape of Jürgen Klopp, fans will no doubt be wondering what to expect from the new man at the helm.

Slot's appointment has now been confirmed less than 24 hours after Klopp bid an emotional farewell to Anfield. The German, though, made sure supporters will give the new boss a rapturous welcome.

Slot will officially take charge from the start of June, before meeting his new players later in the summer as preparations begin for the 2024/25 season. He arrives after an impressive display at Feyenoord, where he won the Eredivisie title last season as well as the KNVB Cup this year.

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Moreover, with the current Liverpool roster very much shaped in the image of Klopp, Reds fans will be encouraged to learn that they will see a lot of similarities in how Slot sets up his teams to the current manager. Here at Liverpool.com, we have compiled together a summary of what to expect from Slot, with a focus on his tactics, philosophy, and his personality...

Formation

Previously the head coach at AZ Alkmaar, the current Feyenoord boss has garnered a reputation in his homeland for his high-intensity, attacking teams, which he normally sets up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Although this is a slight variation on what Klopp has gone with during his eight seasons at Liverpool, the use of the box midfield with a defensive midfielder has been deployed by the German for the majority of this term.

With Trent Alexander-Arnold often stepping into the midfield as a quarterback of sorts, he has evolved to become an auxiliary midfielder from his regular berth at right-back. Usually, this means that the club vice-captain has had Wataru Endō or Alexis Mac Allister sitting in the No. 6 role to allow him the freedom to influence the attack.

Moreover, Slot's usage of wingers to try and engineer chances certainly does seem to fit with the philosophy employed by Klopp, who normally uses Luis Díaz and Mohamed Salah to feed a central striker. Having taken over from Dick Advocaat with the team having finished in fifth place in the previous campaign, Feyenoord was crowned champion within two seasons using this approach. In short, the i has described his approach as "high-energy attacking football in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 with two deep-lying midfielders and a reliance on wingers to create chances".

Philosophy

As for his general philosophy, Slot's teams often are comfortable dominating possession, while playing on the front foot in terms of the attack. In a word, Slot's teams have been characterized by their intensity. The statistics back this up too, with Feyenoord very similar in terms of its approach and mentality to what one has come to expect from Liverpool.

In fact, since Slot took over at Feyenoord, its pressing has been the most successful of any team across the continent's top seven leagues, with the Rotterdam club outperforming only Liverpool in this respect with 722 interceptions to 706. Moreover, Feyenoord lead the way in terms of points won from losing positions with 62 — coincidentally, level with the Reds.

Speaking previously to UEFA, Slot said: "We are an attack-minded team that likes to have a lot of the ball, and we play with a lot of intensity. When we don’t have the ball, we want to win it back as quickly as possible by being aggressive and pressing to win back possession. I think we are a team that is difficult to beat."

Likewise, a tactical analysis from Coaches Voice, stated that the coach does not "overcommit to the high press," while reverting "into a more reserved block" if they fail to win the ball.

Personality

As for Slot's personality, there are even more parallels to be drawn with the departing Klopp, with the Dutchman known for his bubbly and amusing outlook. According to a previous Sky Sports profile he is known for being "engaging, polite, very smiley", while he also boasts "presence and charisma," while being "funny".

However, he does also seem to have the ability to pull rank with his troops if they are in need of a reminder of the standards expected. Dennis van Eersel, of Dutch national TV channel RTV, previously said of Slot: "He can be angry with his players, of course but he also puts his arm around them. They like him because he’s built a harmony at the club."

Speaking to Sky Sports, the man from the Netherlands previously admitted to his ambitions of managing in England one day. Tellingly, he asserted: "My next step will not be a club in Holland. If that is my next step, then I’ve failed completely. The normal next step will be to go abroad and I’ve always said the best league in the world is the Premier League."

An original version of this article was first published on April 23. It has been updated following Slot's appointment as the new Liverpool boss.