The Official Liverpool Thread - Part 2

I read yesterday that Billy Beane was an advisor to AZ Alkmaar back when Arne Slot was recruited (as assistant manager & promoted to manager). Given the close ties between Beane and John Henry it's not a surprise that Slot was on Liverpool's radar.

It would be a tough gig for anyone to follow Jurgen, but there are plenty of positives with Slot - albeit a few nagging concerns that could creep forward if he doesn't start well.

Positives
  • Consistently overachieved in Holland, relative to the available resources
  • Very comfortable with a data-led approach
  • Plays fast attacking football with a high press (...which the squad is already comfortable with)
  • All reports point to him being very strong tactically & good at helping players understand their roles without overloading them with info
  • Great command of English and seems to be able to handle the media pretty well (...but the UK press are a different breed)

Negatives
  • No PL or top 5 league experience
  • Moderate level of European experience (No CL experience)
  • Doesn't have a high profile (of a Klopp / Alonso), which could impact recruitment & he'll need to work harder to earn the players' respect

1*NPJ4VbPUB3hZ36AO-HUHfA.jpeg
 
Purple Monkey Dishwasher said:
As a senior SSB analyst has pointed out, the Dutch league is shit.

Maybe it works out but its a huge ask.
Click to expand...

I haven't seen any analysis of this, but my gut feel is that it's generally easier for a manager to transition to the PL from a league like the Eredivisie (or the Portuguese Primeira league), than it is for a player.

The leap (if any) required for a manager (e.g. tactics, communicating with the players, pressure) is likely a lot lower than it is for a player (e.g. pace, power, quality of opposition, quality of squad members competing for minutes etc.)

For sure there are reasons why it'll be challenging for Slot to succeed, but I wouldn't weight the "Dutch League is sh1t" aspect too heavily...although it's certainly a factor.

It often feels like managerial moves (intra-league or inter-league) often succeed or fail for relatively circumstantial reasons* more than their pure managerial ability. What look like really solid appointments can often go rapidly south and once momentum is working against a mangager it can be hard to claw that back. Unless it's a slam dunk (e.g. Pep walking into a structure tailor-made to his needs & lots of ££ to spend) you really never know how it's going to work out.

With very few big name managers even vaguely recruitable this summer Liverpool look to have gone with a guy whose environment & ways of working at Feyenoord look to be a very good match for how Liverpool operate. Avoiding friction & confusion early in his reign might be half the battle. But certainly it'll be a step up for Slot in lots of ways - scale, pressure, scrutiny. But he's taken big leaps in his career before and overall it's been an upwards trajectory, so it's a risk but a calculated one. Arguably, like most managerial appointments.

* e.g. bust up with the ownership hierarchy, victims of poor execution of transfers, a glut of injuries at the wrong time, fan sentiment etc.
 
If a monster Saudi offer for Salah had come in earlier in the window then a deal just might've been done.

But selling your star striker so late in the window, with no replacement would've been a disaster and might have led to Klopp walking.

Although it would've secured the Net Spend cup, so wouldn't have been all bad of course.
 
Liverpool goalkeeping coach John Achterberg to leave club at end of season
By James Pearce

John Achterberg will leave Liverpool at the end of the season after 15 years of service.

Achterberg’s contract expires this summer and he intends to embark on a new challenge following the end of the Jurgen Klopp era, meaning the goalkeeping coach will not be part of the backroom staff under incoming head coach Arne Slot.

He initially joined the club’s academy staff in 2009 before being promoted to the role of first-team goalkeeping coach by Kenny Dalglish in 2011. The 52-year-old Dutchman’s services were retained by Brendan Rodgers and Klopp.

A popular and highly-respected figure with both players and staff, Achterberg has been described by Klopp as “a goalkeeping maniac” with the Liverpool boss praising his encyclopedic knowledge of shot-stoppers across the world.

It was Achterberg who identified Alisson as the perfect signing when Liverpool were in the market for a new No 1 in 2018.

The Brazilian has proved to be a big success at Anfield since completing a £65 million move from Roma and he has credited Achterberg for playing a crucial role in his development. “John has proved to be not just a great goalkeeping coach but a great guy,” Alisson said. “We learn from each other’s work. He’s loved by all here.”

https://twitter.com/x/status/1785719740050092048
 

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