It must be an intimidating experience commuting to your new office where murals and flags of your predecessor adorn the walls and stands. Arne Slot cannot change much about the past, instead his job is to improve the future at Anfield and the early signs are promising.
The Dutchman has not strengthened Jürgen Klopp’s squad as he believes continuity and personnel adjustments are the way forward for his Liverpool era. He enjoyed a pre-season win over Sevilla at his new home to get a taste of the dugout and atmosphere, but it was never comparable to a Premier League game.
Defensive midfield is the main area Slot targeted during the summer transfer window, but the club failed to secure the signing of Martín Zubimendi from Real Sociedad. With no new signing, Slot has deployed fellow countryman Ryan Gravenberch as the deepest of the three central midfielders, not because he was most likely to win the ball back, but because he was unlikely to lose it. Football for Slot is about keeping the ball, and he has plenty of passers who should be in control rather than having to win it back. Against Brentford, they completed 92% of their passes successfully, a sign of things to come.
The first goal was an indication of why few adjustments are needed at Liverpool, as Mohamed Salah won the ball on the edge of the box following a Brentford corner and left Diogo Jota running wild in the middle before showing his guile with a pass to Luis Díaz, who had made an intelligent run into space from where he hammered home the first goal in a nod to heavy metal football. Slot was allowed to celebrate his first big celebration in the coaching zone, grateful to have taken over a team that was on the up. No coach needs to worry when his team can counterattack from one end to the other in 10 seconds, culminating in a rocket-like finish.
Loyalty is important at Liverpool and behind Slot’s seat there was a banner that read “From Bergentheim to Anfield, we’re behind you, Arne” being held up by fans. Slot stood on the edge of the technical area from the first to the last whistle, showing less energy than Klopp while manoeuvring his players the whole time.
After Díaz scored, Gravenberch took off his undershirt, which in modern football means rolling up the sleeves. All in red showed their new manager tenacity and commitment, although Gravenberch took it a little too far when he committed a last-minute foul on Mathias Jensen and was booked for it. They controlled the game until the end of the first half, but the lack of defensive-minded midfielders gave Brentford the chance to break through and cause problems, although Alisson remained unharmed.
There were concerns about how open Liverpool were becoming and Brentford were becoming more and more dangerous. As in the opening match against Ipswich, Liverpool got better as the game went on. Alexis Mac Allister dropped further back to help Gravenberch and limit the space for counterattacks. It was an easy solution, especially with the three strikers charging forward. Salah, Jota and Díaz all showed great individual and collective skills, tearing through Brentford at pace. Mark Flekken was the more diligent of the goalkeepers to keep Brentford in the game as everyone in red knew a second goal would be crucial.
For Slot, having an electrifying and versatile front three is a gift. They know each other so well that it’s not worth imparting new knowledge to them, even for a communicator as clever as the Dutchman. He has given them the freedom to work magic at will in the final third, making them a more dangerous threat through improvisation rather than choreography. So it was no surprise that Díaz brought on Salah to calm Slot and 60,000 others. Jota, Díaz and Salah were all substituted before the end, an indication that Slot sees them as essential to the long-term success of his plan.
after newsletter campaign
Things were going so well for Slot that he himself tried to improvise when he flicked the ball back onto the pitch after a misplaced Brentford defensive kick. It was going well and a third goal seemed possible but he had no ambitions to rest in his place, instead staying on the white line to ensure nothing was missed. The only time he took his eyes off the pitch was when he greeted the Kop, who were chanting his name for the first time that afternoon, and waved to them in thanks.
Gravenberch received a standing ovation in injury time, a small example of the good leadership from Slot, who has pushed the former Ajax player into an unfamiliar role and shown that his efforts are appreciated by all. It may not have been a perfect performance from the Dutchman, but he is learning on the job and showed the composure in possession that is required of Slot, moving things towards those who could do the real damage.
For Slot and Liverpool, it’s an evolution rather than a revolution. It was polite applause, not a punch in the air after the final whistle, because August is not the time to make noise, you have to earn it over the course of the season. Slot does things quietly; six points, four goals and two games without conceding have sparked the response.
