Erik ten Hag planning Arne Slot talks as Man United boss offers verdict on Liverpool boss

Liverpool's new head coach Arne Slot is yet to hear from Erik ten Hag. But the Manchester United boss expects they will get in touch soon .

The duo will be crossing paths before long anyway, with Liverpool scheduled to face Manchester United in the US on August 4. That will be the first taste of the rivalry for Slot , who will find that these games mean more, even in pre-season.

It's then less than a month before they meet competitively (provided Ten Hag is still in a job), with a Premier League clash set for September 1. Although it looked for a time that the Dutchmen would be ships passing in the night, the former Ajax coach has clung onto his job at Old Trafford after an FA Cup triumph and a chaotic end-of-season review .

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Ten Hag stoked the rivalry before Slot had even officially arrived, claiming that Feyenoord had been "overrated" by Eredivisie fans . The pair previously crossed paths in the Dutch top flight.

Oddly enough, Slot caused Ten Hag the most problems while still with AZ Alkmaar. He completed the double over his opponent in 2019/20, and the two teams were level on points at the top of the table when the league was cancelled due to the pandemic.

Ten Hag had the better of the encounters between Ajax and Feyenoord, leaving for the Premier League after a season (shortly before Slot won the league title). The rivalry will now resume in a historic setting, on the battleground of Liverpool vs Manchester United.

But ahead of their first meeting, Ten Hag has struck a more conciliatory tone. He's also expressed an intention to get in touch with Slot.

Asked if he has spoken to Slot, Ten Hag told ESPN Netherlands : ”No, we have not been in contact yet, that will come. But I think we wish each other everything.

“It is great what Arne has achieved at Feyenoord, how he has helped that club get back on its feet.

“And the football that Liverpool prefers to play, that also suits Arne Slot completely. I think it is a very good match.”

Liverpool.com says: We'll see if Ten Hag is so accommodating when the teams meet competitively for the first time at the start of September. Manchester United has only triggered a one-year extension rather than agreeing a new contract, so his position remains precarious, and the pressure may already be on by then if he makes a slow start.

That would be quite the early scalp for Slot. But both managers go into the campaign with plenty to prove, albeit for different reasons.