Jurgen Klopp has a new job, with the former Liverpool boss having left management behind following his time at Anfield .
The 57-year-old has been announced as Red Bull’s new Global Head of Soccer , a role that will see him advise on football matters for the energy drink company’s stable of teams, which includes the likes of RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg. He’ll begin his new venture in January, although it hasn’t gone down too well with fans in Germany .
Nevertheless, it of course means Klopp takes on his first job since leaving Liverpool in the summer, and while he prepares for his new venture, the Reds have moved into their own new era under Arne Slot .
Liverpool.com has taken a look at what has changed at Anfield since Klopp’s exit, with Slot’s influence becoming clear.
Tactical tweaks
There hasn’t been too dramatic a change on the pitch from Klopp’s time in charge. The Reds still press high and have the ability to hit their opponents quickly and effectively.
There are some notable differences under Slot though. First and foremost, there is much more emphasis on possession – the Dutchman barking out ‘kill them with passes’ during one of his first training sessions set the tone for his philosophy at Anfield.
Not that Klopp didn’t also want his team to have the lion’s share of possession. Under Slot, though, Liverpool does seem to be asserting more control in games – their six clean sheets in 10 games bears that out.
Where Klopp brought about chaos to opposition after winning the ball back, Slot wants to see his side keep the ball. “You can see we focus a lot on the build-up, a lot more responsibility for our center-backs with and without the ball,” Virgil van Dijk explained in pre-season.
The Reds are still capable of those bursts that became a trademark of Klopp’s tenure though, as made evident during their win at Manchester United , and you will still see the odd raking long ball from Van Dijk or Trent Alexander-Arnold , but they will become rarer as Slot’s influence becomes more pronounced.
A new routine
Whereas Slot has made minor tweaks on the pitch to Klopp, the new head coach has made more thorough changes away from it, especially in training.
On a normal day, the Reds now report to the AXA Training Centre at the earlier time of 9:15am. Breakfast is compulsory at the Kirkby base, with Slot wanting his players to mix with each other more.
There are many more meetings now. Players will get feedback within 24 hours of a session on what they’re doing well and what can be improved upon, with Slot watching training back every day.
“We have meetings mostly every day,” Conor Bradley explained. “He wants to get his tactics embedded into us. So he needs to keep doing meetings to show us what we are doing well and not doing well. It makes sense. Some are short and sharp, some are longer.
“We didn’t really have meetings last year, only the day before the game. There’s differences from what Jürgen did and what the gaffer does now. I’m enjoying learning new things, so it’s all been really good.”
Although Slot wants his players to spend more time together at the training ground, he has made one key change from Klopp’s time which sees them getting a bit more time to themselves. Rather than having his squad stay at a hotel the night before a game – Klopp and his players would check in to the Titanic before matchdays – Liverpool’s players now get to stay in the comfort of their own homes.
“I felt and my staff feel the best place to sleep is your own bed, it gives you the best rest possible,” Slot explained in an interview with Sky Sports.
“That’s not a rule, but that’s maybe one of the few things we’ve changed, that players are before a home game in their own house, in their own bed, instead of being in a hotel.”
The public face
One area that has seen a major change is in Slot’s public persona compared to Klopp’s.
Although the Dutchman possesses plenty of his own charisma, it was always clear that he would go about things differently when dealing with the media, taking a more understated approach to his predecessor.
He is still in his early days at Anfield, and therefore hasn’t had to tackle some of the more taxing subjects that Klopp spoke out on during his time in charge, but Slot has shown a little more reluctance to speak on matters away from the pitch, especially when it comes to contracts.
His title of head coach enables him to deflect any questions that he perceives to be above his pay grade, with journalists having no luck so far in trying to coax something out of him on the futures of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah.
What Slot is happy to talk about though is his tactics. He will go into depth when asked about the intricacies of his side’s play style, with Roy Keane left notably impressed by the discussion after Liverpool’s demolition job on Manchester United.
Fans will have also noticed the change in post-match celebrations. Gone are the fist pumps in front of the Kop, with Slot - wisely - choosing not to try and copy his predecessor.
We probably won’t get the sort of instantly quotable moments like we did from Klopp, but Slot has found another way to make a positive impression on the media.
Transfer responsibi lities
As previously mentioned, the change in title, with Slot becoming head coach as opposed to manager, means a shift in some responsibilities.
During Klopp’s time in charge, the German took more and more accountability for transfers. That didn’t sit too well with former sporting directors Michael Edwards and Julian Ward , with both leaving the club in quick succession as Klopp’s influence grew .
The pair though are now back with FSG , and heading up the football operations as Liverpool’s owners look to expand their portfolio of clubs.
Richard Hughes is the new man tasked with fronting the Reds’ transfer approach, having come recommended by Edwards, with Slot focusing more on the day-to-day running of his team. That’s not to say Slot has no say in who comes and goes from his squad, but the power has certainly shifted back upwards at Anfield.
Liverpool as a whole still largely remains the same as it did under Klopp – after all, he helped shape the club into what it has become, turning it back into one of the world’s biggest teams. Slot though has begun making his own impact, with the new era well and truly underway.
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