UK media makes Man Utd claim as Arne Slot handed first Liverpool verdict after Real Betis win

Liverpool's first outing under new manager Arne Slot saw them described as both "far from perfect" and "soft rock" by the UK's media . The Reds kicked off their US tour with a 1-0 win over Real Betis at the Acrisure Stadium in Pennsylvania on Friday evening.

New signing Dominik Szoboszlai scored the only goal of the game in the first half, opening his account for the club and getting Slot's reign off to a winning start. Despite dominating possession, the Reds struggled to add to their lead.

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However, with no recognized striker in the squad and several senior players still yet to return, there were still plenty of positives for Slot to take from the game. Here's how the UK's national media reacted to Slot's first win in charge of Liverpool.

Daily Mail

"It took observers a solid 15 minutes or so to learn the formation Liverpool were playing here," Lewis Steele wrote . "Slot was quick to shut down suggestions his system was different from Jurgen Klopp ’s – but that was certainly the case here.

"Liverpool’s formation resembled a 4-2-4 shape for most of this match, with Szoboszlai and Harvey Elliott both playing as No 9s, whether you want to describe them as ‘false’ or not. The Hungary skipper got on the score-sheet.

"It was far from perfect but the early signs with this formation, an experiment or not, were promising. Liverpool played through the lines with punchy, vertical passes and it meant their pressing structure was harder to break through."

The Athletic

"It would be wrong to read too much into how the Dutchman set the team up given the absence of so many star names, but his choice of formation was certainly intriguing," James Pearce wrote .

"Slot opted to experiment, effectively playing 4-2-4 with Szoboszlai and Harvey Elliott operating as false 9s in the first half, with Salah and Fabio Carvalho on the flanks.

"Without a focal point in attack, Liverpool struggled to retain possession during a scrappy opening half-hour, but Szoboszlai’s influence increased as they belatedly seized the initiative before the break."

BBC Sport

"Slot has taken over from Klopp, who was in charge for nine years, and the German's often dubbed 'heavy metal football' looked a little more soft rock under their new Dutch manager," Nizaar Kinsella wrote .

"Again, it was partly down to the limited personnel, but Klopp's gegenpressing style turned into a slower possession-based approach, typically favoured by Johan Cryuff-influenced Dutch coaches.

"It looked similar to the unenforced but successful tactical approach taken by Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag in the FA Cup final, with Bruno Fernandes up front in the win against Manchester City."

Liverpool.com says: It's still early days for this new Liverpool era, and there are still a number of big names to return, so we won't really get a proper gauge of where the Reds are at under Arne Slot for a while. Still, there are some promising early signs to build upon.

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can read the original story in the Liverpool ECHO by clicking here .