Atalanta's Mario Pasalic took a celebratory step onto Anfield's advertising boards after finishing past an outstretched Caoimhin Kelleher on April 11, a snapshot of Liverpool's two-year battle with substandard defending.
Pasalic's finish marked the Italian side's third goal on the night, effectively eliminating Liverpool through just one leg of the Europa League quarterfinals. LFC only found themselves in Europe's second-rate cup competition after a fifth-place finish in 2023, despite notching the Premier League's third-best goal tally.
The final two seasons of Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool tenure were relative disappointments, both on the continental and domestic stages, compared to the German manager's lofty expectations and the defensive standards of their title-challenging peers. But as Arne Slot prepares for his first season at the helm this August, the Dutchman's track record appears perfectly suited to address these shortcomings.
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Slot arrives in England after three seasons with Dutch club Feyenoord, helping guide the historic Rotterdam giants back to successive top-2 finishes for the first time since 1994. The team's defensive record stands out in both seasons, allowing just a combined 56 goals, but a more refined approach paints an even more impressive picture.
With a combined expected goals output of under 1.00 during that stretch, Feyenoord led the Eredivisie in both 2022-23 and 2023-24, unquestionably the strongest defense in the Netherlands.
Not solely responsible for Feyenoord's tremendous defensive record, Slot is also taking a number of his highest-ranking assistants from Rotterdam to Liverpool, including assistant coach Sipke Hulshoff and performance coach Ruben Peeters. The new boss also announced the addition of former U.S. Soccer Head of Goalkeeping Fabian Otte to his staff.
In a fitting first move for the defensive-minded head coach, Slot revealed that his first phone call to any player as Liverpool manager went to star center-back and fellow countryman Virgil van Dijk . The towering Dutchman led the Reds' Premier League-best defense in 2018-19 and 2019-20 and has expressed optimism in Slot's potential on Merseyside with just one year left on his contract.
"I still have a year left on my contract. I am club captain and I have made it clear I am there for the new coach and enthusiastic over the next season," Van Dijk said before beginning his Euro 2024 campaign. Obviously, there will be a lot of changes but I am confident we will make a big success of it."
"I congratulated him of course and I'm really pleased for him and his family. We spoke about the team and the future, but now my focus is fully on the national team."
Liverpool fans shouldn't fear a complete tactical switch under Slot's tenure, however, as both managers have found success with a high-energy 'Gegenpress' and quick dynamic buildup in transition. Slot has historically set up in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation, with a tendency for partially inverted fullbacks and lofty demands for his wingers, likely a smooth transition for established Liverpool stars Trent Alexander-Arnold , Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah .
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