After nearly two months in charge, Liverpool’s new boss, Arne Slot, looks like he’s had the job for a long time.
At the start of the season, fans with Liverpool tickets were constantly worried about the void that Slot would need to fill in Jurgen Klopp’s absence.
Klopp was a fan favorite and legend who will forever be remembered for revolutionizing Liverpool. They imagined replacing him and continuing their momentum would be challenging.
But everyone with Liverpool tickets has been proven wrong.
Slot has been maginficient.
From the first match day, Liverpool showcased a calm, comforting yet unique style of play, tagged ‘Slot-Ball,’ and are coming in hot with the results.
Arne Slot says he’s only made one big change from Jurgen Klopp’s time at Liverpool – and it hasn’t been on the pitch.
Slot’s Embracing Anfield
Reds boss Slot has enjoyed a flying start to his Anfield career after replacing Klopp in the summer. In October, he became the first Liverpool manager to win eight of his first nine matches when his side beat Bologna in the Champions League.
The fans who’ve been to every game with Liverpool tickets haven’t stopped expressing gratitude.
Liverpool also sit top of the Premier League after six matches, with Slot receiving plenty of praise for his adaptation to filling such large shoes after the exit of the popular Klopp.
But far from dwelling on the praises, Slot has always been in pain to point out that Klopp left behind a strong culture at Liverpool as well as a gifted playing squad.
When pressed on the main ‘rule’ he has brought in since his arrival by Sky Sports, he said that it all comes down to the squad’s sleeping arrangements.
“Maybe we’ve implemented one or two (rules), but I don’t even know what they are,” said Slot. “There was (already) a really good culture of players being on time, so I hate it if we have to talk about fines and these kinds of things for players being late. It’s normal that you’re on time.
“But that culture was already here, so maybe the only one – I’m not sure it’s a rule – but they used to go into hotels a lot the day before a game, and that’s what we’ve changed because I and my staff feel the best place to sleep is your bed, so it gives you the best rest possible.
“So it’s not a rule, but that’s one of the few things we’ve changed. So before a home game, the players are in their own houses and beds instead of a hotel. That’s not a rule, but it did change.”
Fans with Liverpool tickets are excited for the series of matches after the international break, as they will have fixtures against Chelsea, Arsenal, Brighton, and Aston Villa.
This will be the Reds’ acid test, as it will decide how the league standings will fluctuate in a month. Those with Liverpool tickets know that having a points lead becomes as important as being on top.
New Targets for Liverpool in January
It was widely reported this summer that Liverpool’s priority in the transfer market was a holding midfielder, and Martin Zubimendi was identified as the Reds’ top target.
However, Zubimendi opted to stay at his boyhood club, Real Sociedad, and is happy with his decision, so it could be time for Liverpool to move on to an alternative target.
One name that was constantly linked with Liverpool during the summer and has now been linked again is Ederson, the 25-year-old midfielder currently playing for Atalanta.
According to TBR Football, Liverpool is interested in the Brazilian and sent scouts to watch Atalanta’s recent Champions League game against Shakhtar Donetsk. The midfielder is open to a move to the Premier League in 2025.
Although Zubimendi was a priority for the club this summer, Ryan Gravenberch’s emergence has played down the urgency of a holding midfield signing.
The Dutchman’s incredible performances have earned him praise from all over the football world, and now, a signing in his position doesn’t look necessary for Anfield.
When you look beyond Gravenberch in this position, a need for reinforcements once again starts to emerge. Wataru Endo is the only natural alternative, and Slot does not favor him, so midfield reinforcements could be in order at Liverpool.
Rather than replacing Gravenberch, the signing of Ederson would allow pressure to be taken off the Dutchman, who is still only 22 years old and would reduce the quality drop-off when Slot decides to rotate his midfield.
Slot will have plenty of time to assess his options before the transfer window reopens in January, and a deal for Ederson or another midfield target could make sense to boost squad depth and protect Gravenberch.
Salah Snubbed By UEFA
After a stand-out performance by Mo Salah in the UEFA Champions League, all those with Liverpool tickets have lashed out on social media for their team of the week picks.
The winger scored an extraordinary goal that we have come to expect of him in Champions League action, cutting in from the right-hand side and finding the far top corner with a curled effort that no goalkeeper could reach.
And Salah was at the heart of everything Liverpool did on the night. He drifted in to play a delicious, tempting cross that the Bologna goalkeeper couldn’t read, which was finished duly by Alexis Mac Allister.
However, Salah’s dictating of the game wasn’t enough for UEFA’s technical observers, as they didn’t deem the performance worthy of inclusion in their Team of the Week.
Instead, Brest’s Abdallah Sima and Dortmund’s Karim Adeyemi claimed the wide roles. They no doubt had fantastic evenings, with Sima bagging two goals as the French side demolished former Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders’s RB Salzburg side 4-0, while Adeyemi claimed a hattrick in Dortmund’s 7-1 demolition of Celtic.
It’s hard to argue with three goals, but there is zero doubt that all of Adeyemi’s efforts could have been kept out had Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel realized he was playing a game of football at the time.
But this is an indication of the level that has come to be expected of Mo Salah. A world-class goal and assist is no longer a good evening for the Egyptian. Instead, it’s a surprise if he doesn’t have these returns.
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