Arne Slot must do what Jurgen Klopp found easy at Liverpool - and it's anything but

For Jurgen Klopp, the long goodbye will be colourful, loud and, in trademark fashion for both Liverpool and the man himself, grippingly emotional.

There won't be a dry eye inside Anfield on Sunday when Wolves are hosted and regardless of how an unlikely title chase eventually petered out during April, Sunday's game is sure to be an I-Was-There sort of occasion as the scarves are whirred, the anthems are sung and the tears are unable to be held back.

That is what is expected when the greatest manager of the 21st century at Anfield walks away. Klopp says he doesn't like the Kop belting out the 'I'm So Glad' hymn created in his honour but he will have little choice but to accept it from minute one this weekend.

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It's this bond between manager and fanbase that will be too daunting an act to follow for some. When David Moyes was recruited to succeed Alex Ferguson at Manchester United in 2013, the former Everton boss arrived with the legendary Scot's blessing; signed off as the anointed one to continue leading the club with that same brand of hard-nosed Glaswegian granite.

The man who steps into the Anfield spotlight in the post-Klopp era, however, will arrive with no such backing. Whether or not that is positive remains to be seen for Arne Slot, who is set to be appointed imminently. Being handpicked by your predecessor might instill confidence and belief but, as Moyes quickly found to his detriment, it can also act as a poisoned chalice.

Klopp was at least insistent that he will have no say in the appointment of a new manager, saying: "The last thing they need is advice from the old man walking out who tells them: 'By the way, make sure you bring him in.'"

It was the sort of soundbite that cut through the confusion and the type Klopp has made his calling card since he waltzed into Anfield pledging to turn "doubters into believers" back in October 2015. Since then, though, he has insisted he is happy to field a call from his would-be successor, which is something Slot has revealed he would be keen to do.

Perhaps only the task of eventually replacing Pep Guardiola at Manchester City compares to what Slot, as the next Liverpool manager, will have to do this summer. But if the tactical and technical demands of the coaching side of things need to be of the highest level in the modern game, the man in the dugout also has a civic duty on Merseyside that will go beyond the confines of the football pitch. Rightly or wrongly, the Liverpool manager has to be just as much as a statesman as a tactician.

That is something Klopp has always understood. Back in November, the manager personally delivered a filmed message to a supporter whose life had been turned upside down after he was attacked outside the Stade de France at the 2022 Champions League final.

Klopp's video, which was shown in private to those who had attended a charity fundraiser, was delivered with sincerity and warmth under the agreement that it would not be reproduced or shown across social media. The message was greatly appreciated by the fan in question, who was moved to tears by the surprise unveiling on the night itself.

In March 2020, Klopp was thanked by Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, of the World Health Organisation, for his messaging around the COVID-19 pandemic that was about to tear across the planet, with the WHO chief saying he "put people's health first [to] reduce risks, care for the vulnerable and compassion".

Imploring best practice from people caught in a worldwide pandemic is unlikely to be a regular task for Slot but it offers an illustration as to how far-reaching the words of the Liverpool boss can be at certain times. It's something that must be considered alongside the more traditional metrics of coaching acumen like tactical intelligence and man management.

Liverpool earned widespread plaudits for a video on their social media channels on Christmas Day of Klopp welcoming in a young Irish supporter by the name of Daire Gorman to the AXA Training Centre.

Twelve-year-old Daire is one of fewer than 10 known people worldwide who suffer from Crommelin Syndrome, which led to him being born without arms from his elbow down and without a femur bone in both of his legs. Klopp's heartwarming and genuine interactions with the young supporter went viral over the festive period and showcased the human side of the character that has endeared him to so many across the world since his arrival.

Common human decency might seem like an easy quality to possess but it is not always in plentiful supply in the intense pressure cooker of elite-level football. But Klopp's open letter to the people of Merseyside Saturday's ECHO showcased that in spades.

"Mr. Klopp, he was an absolute gentleman," Peter Cox - the brother of Liverpool fan Sean Cox, who was left with life-changing brain injuries after being attacked outside Anfield before a Champions League semi-final with Roma in 2018 - told the ECHO in 2021. "He just wanted to know everything about Sean and he was so interested in how Sean was getting on and what was going on. An absolute gentleman."

It's such anecdotes that outline why being the manager of Liverpool FC in the modern era extends beyond the results of football games, league positions or cup progress. That being said, success inside the parameters of the football pitch remains the yardstick of anyone in that privileged position and the challenge of following in the footsteps of Klopp both on and off the field has to be an unnerving prospect, even for the most confident of coaches.

There will never be another Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool and when that aforementioned colourful, loud and grippingly emotional exit eventually comes this weekend, talk will quickly begin as to where he now sits alongside the pantheon of the all-time greats at Anfield.

From Shankly to Paisley, Fagan and Dalglish, he will be in good company. How Slot, as the next-in-line, goes about trying to get himself in a similarly exalted position will be fascinating.

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