Liverpool faced a seemingly impossible task last summer, with iconic manager Jurgen Klopp leaving a larger-than-life hole to fill. But Arne Slot has taken it all in stride, and he now has the Reds top of the table — something his predecessor has watched with interest.

It has been a fascinating succession, both on and off the field. On it, there has been a perfect blend of continuity and innovation: there are clear glimpses of Slot's patterns, but the intensity of the Klopp era is muscle memory to most of the current squad.

Away from the pitch, despite having to handle constant questions about the futures of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Slot has been a picture of calm. Like Klopp, he backs his players to the hilt, but he has wisely not even attempted to emulate the didactic, rabble-rousing intensity of the German.

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In other words, Slot has not tried to fill the hole left by Klopp. He has forged his own way of doing things, a gentle but effective evolution that could not have gone much better so far.

There was lots of talk before the appointment about whether Slot could be the Bob Paisley to Klopp's Bill Shankly — that's the sort of pressure he was under in taking such a high-profile vacancy. It's a mark of how well he has done that those comparisons currently don't look outrageous.

Meanwhile, Klopp is now embarking on the next chapter in his own career. He has officially started as the global head of soccer at Red Bull, and admitted at the introductory press conference that he is still following Liverpool's progress.

"I’m so happy that they do so well," Klopp gushed. "That was what I was hoping for."

Some of the credit must go to Klopp himself, who could have walked away after a tricky 2022/23 campaign. But he laid the foundations of a resurgence, even signing off with one last trophy — so is there a part of him that wishes he was on board for the latest part of the journey?

"I am in contact with some people, Arne, texting, the players, texting," Klopp revealed. "[But] there is not a 0.01 percentage that thinks I should still be there. Not at all.

"I am more than happy not to be there because they are doing so well. It’s great. I wish them all the best and I watch as many games as I can.

"It’s great football, even if you don’t support Liverpool you better watch them. It’s top football, maybe the most balanced in the world right now. I am really really happy about that.”

Liverpool.com says: It's hard to argue with that assessment from Klopp. Liverpool sits top of the league, with the chance to take a huge step toward the title this evening, and it boasts a 100 per cent record in the Champions League.

The fact that Klopp is in touch with Slot is potentially a slight surprise, but a nice one. Having backed him at his own farewell, the German has done well to give the new coach the space he needs, refraining from any public comment — but there is clearly a line of communication open behind the scenes.

Even without that revelation, it goes without saying that any Liverpool success this season partly belongs to Klopp. But he would be among the first to point the praise in the direction of Slot, whose triumphs he can now enjoy from afar.