'More intelligent than Ten Hag' - Arne Slot verdict delivered after Liverpool announcement

Former Feyenoord manager Arne Slot has been handed the challenge of leading Liverpool into a new era post-Jurgen Klopp.

The Dutchman was announced as the club's new head coach on Monday evening, as the worst-kept secret in football was finally revealed. Unsurprisingly, there will be some trepidation among supporters as to what the future could hold, considering his relatively unknown reputation in England.

However, reaction in the Netherlands has been overwhelmingly positive towards Liverpool's new appointment, and the media has reflected that optimism. The ECHO has taken a closer look at what the reaction to Slot has been in his home country.

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Better than Ten Hag

One of the worries around appointing Slot is whether he would struggle like Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag. However, his childhood mentor Jan Ophof is confident that this will not be the case.

"Arne is more intelligent than Ten Hag," Ophof told The Telegraph. "He is different.

"Look at what Thomas Tuchel did [berating centre-back Kim Min-jae]. Arne would never do that to a player. He would do it face-to-face in private, never for the cameras."

Klopp 2.0

Dutch football journalist Michael Statham told This is Anfield in April that Slot's similarities to Klopp mean that we should not expect a huge change in style at Liverpool next season. "People believe that he is very similar to Jurgen Klopp with playing style, a little bit of charisma about him as well," Statham of football-oranje said.

"I think he is very good but I’m not going to go out and say he’s as good as him already. Of course he can’t have proven himself yet but, Arne Slot, trying to talk about him cautiously, I do think he’s that good."

Leaving Feyenoord with love

De Volkskrant's journalist Bart Vlietstra was in attendance for Slot's final match in the Eredivisie and was struck by the reaction he received from the home supporters. "Rarely has a Feyenoord coach been greeted with so much respect," he wrote.

"A gigantic banner was hung in front of the North side with 'Walk on, walk on' on it, a sentence from You'll never walk alone, which is considered an anthem in both Rotterdam and Liverpool. In between, Slot's smiling face.

"Underneath it said: 'Beautiful football, great prizes, thanks Arne!' The song was spontaneously started by supporters afterwards before Slot was given the floor after he had returned to the field via the tunnel and a guard of honour to the necessary drum roll."