‘he Keeps A Clear Head’: How Slot’s Last Slump Offers Blueprint For Liverpool Revival

Just complete 5 weeks aft Arne Slot’s Feyenoord had lost a tight Conference League final by a extremity to Roma successful 2022, they suffered a 7-0 location conclusion by Copenhagen successful their first pre-season friendly. Some of nan Dutch club’s internationals were connected holiday, 7 of their starters from nan last would time off that summertime and Copenhagen were good up successful preparations, but moreover so, nan scoreline was bruising. It felt arsenic if Slot had to commencement each complete again.

“I tin retrieve it for illustration yesterday,” says Marino Pusic, Slot’s adjunct astatine Feyenoord and earlier astatine AZ. “The people could person been moreover higher – that says enough.” Copenhagen’s past coach, Jess Thorup, described it arsenic much akin to “a training convention than an existent friends match”. Two weeks later a stronger Feyenoord broadside mislaid 4-0 to nan Belgian nine Union Saint-Gilloise. Then came location defeats by Lyon and Osasuna.

Arne Slot (left of dugout) digests a 7-0 pre-season battering astatine location to Copenhagen successful July 2022. Photograph: ANP/Getty Images

After Liverpool were well beaten by Manchester City successful their astir caller game, a scarcely imaginable seventh conclusion successful 10 matches, it was easy to ideate Slot was grappling for nan first clip pinch a slump and a rebuild. The coach’s soft emergence from Cambuur to Anfield, via AZ and Feyenoord, has delivered trophies and awards. How tin is he of digging a struggling squad retired of a hole?

Feyenoord brushed disconnected their summertime of strife to triumph nan Eredivisie, and if retaining nan Premier League title looks beyond Slot, Pusic believes his erstwhile leader has nan skills to move astir Liverpool’s season, which resumes astatine location to Nottingham Forest connected Saturday.

“It was worrying,” Pusic says, casting his mind backmost to Feyenoord’s troubles. “But erstwhile you recognise nan cause, you cognize really to enactment and move it astir … Throughout nan process we stayed cool, nary unnecessary emotions. Arne is superb astatine that: he keeps a clear head, analyses things profoundly and turns conclusions into action.

“No 1 gave america immoderate chance of winning nan convention that season. And yet nan pieces slow started to autumn into place. We were proactive, brought successful nan correct players – moreover though we had very small money – and, astir of all, did nan activity connected nan training pitch, wherever we could amended and create nan players.”

He sees parallels astatine Liverpool, wherever Slot is integrating respective summertime signings: “People often hide that nan group move is crucial. Bringing successful 5 aliases six caller players tin propulsion nan equilibrium disconnected temporarily. The group only starts functioning decently again erstwhile they tin find a caller rhythm, but earlier past they spell done different phases. That goes beyond strategies aliases technique; it conscionable takes clip for nan group to find its cohesion.”

The improvement of Liverpool’s squad was overshadowed by the decease of Diogo Jota and Pusic says nan effect will person been bigger than galore realise. He dealt pinch condolences wrong his squad soon aft he near Feyenoord successful 2023 to negociate Shakhtar Donetsk. “The relative of my first-choice goalkeeper had died successful nan war,” Pusic says. “At that moment, you’re dealing pinch wholly different things than football. So overmuch hits you astatine once.

Liverpool’s players show their disappointment aft going 2-0 down astatine Manchester City this period – nan 3-0 nonaccomplishment was their seventh conclusion successful 10 matches. Photograph: Tom Jenkins/The Guardian

“Diogo was incredibly important for them, some connected and disconnected nan pitch. He was a teammate but besides a adjacent friend to galore players, who could thin connected each different for support. And past you abruptly suffer that personification successful specified a unspeakable way. It has a immense effect connected everyone astatine nan club, particularly nan squad. During nan season, these things whitethorn slice a spot into nan background, but they linger, and astatine difficult moments they tin resurface.”

Liverpool, arsenic champions, person besides had to accommodate to a different attack from opponents, Pusic says: “You’re nary longer nan 1 chasing but nan squad being chased. That’s a large difference, besides mentally, because you can’t triumph matches purely done tactics; you besides request to triumph matches based connected different affectional elements. The mobility is really you woody pinch this wrong nan team. Who takes nan inaugural now, and who assumes which activity roles? Those are nan deeper layers of coaching, and they’re crucial.”

Pusic, nan head of Al Jazira Club successful Abu Dhabi, knows Slot does not awkward from responsibilities. “He is very adept astatine analysing them and being honorable astir them,” he says. “He is genuine, tells it precisely how it is.”

In caller months, Slot has been frank astir Liverpool’s vulnerabilities, including to agelong balls. He will person been moving connected caller strategies, which return clip to refine, according to Pusic. “If nan opponent’s maneuver is to play it agelong and attraction connected nan 2nd ball, past you person to set based connected different elements. Who engages successful nan duel? Who goes to nan 2nd ball?”

Two years agone Slot talked astir his methods successful Ronald Giphart’s book Het beste van jezelf (The champion of yourself), including outlining his elaborate video activity pinch players. “I’m perpetually reasoning astir really we tin further improve,” he said. “For example, by uncovering retired really our adjacent force applies unit and really we could woody pinch that … You can’t triumph a lucifer purely done analysis. Luck has to beryllium connected your broadside too, and everything comes down to good margins, but from nan outset I attraction heavy connected nan analytical side. And connected relationships, for illustration by having individual conversations pinch everyone.”

Arne Slot helped Feyenoord bounce backmost to a first convention title successful six years successful 2023. Photograph: Hollandse Hoogte/Shutterstock

Liverpool’s mediocre convention commencement reminds Pusic of 1 different challenging infinitesimal successful Slot’s career, during his 2nd play pinch AZ. They drew their first 5 games, having vanished nan previous, unfinished coronavirus play 2nd only connected extremity quality to Ajax. “That brought unit pinch it, arsenic we wanted to compete astatine nan apical of nan Eredivisie, and it weighed connected Arne,” Pusic says. “But it’s not comparable pinch nan scrutiny astatine nan apical of nan Premier League.”

AZ sewage backmost to winning ways and Liverpool appeared to person recovered nan measurement up erstwhile they beat Aston Villa and Real Madrid earlier their conclusion astatine City. “Everyone goes done periods for illustration that,” Pusic says. “The mobility is: what halfway qualities do you person to get done them much quickly? In that respect, being capable to enactment composed nether unit is important and Arne has that ability.”