Dutch pundit drops Arne Slot prediction that Liverpool fans would dearly love to come true
Arne Slot has been backed to trump one of Liverpool’s biggest rivals during his first season at Anfield.
The 45-year-old has taken on the task of replacing the iconic Jurgen Klopp in the Reds’ dugout, and he’ll need to produce heroics in order to even come close to matching his predecessor’s legacy.
However, Dutch football pundit Marcel van der Kraan is confident that the ex-Feyenoord boss will outperform compatriot Erik ten Hag at Manchester United over the next 12 months.
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Speaking on talkSPORT, he said of Slot: “He’s got very fresh ideas and maybe even excels Ten Hag in his ideas of attacking football. He is closer in his thinking to Pep [Guardiola]. I’m not saying he’s on the same level; I don’t want Liverpool fans to think, ‘Oh Marcel’s telling us we’re getting Pep 2.0.’
“But I’ve never seen a game of him where he played one minute of defensive football, or where he wanted his team to defend something. It’s actually been mind blowing what he’s done in Holland. I’m not saying that he will be in England but in Holland, he’s the most entertaining coach I’ve seen over the last 35 years.”
When asked if Liverpool’s new head coach will be more successful than Ten Hag next season, Van der Kraan instantly replied: “Yes.”
On the face of it, Liverpool finishing 22 points and five places ahead of United last season would suggest that Slot should comfortably get the better of Ten Hag next term.
However, the roles were reversed 12 months ago after a wretched 2022/23 campaign at Anfield, and how the Reds will cope with Klopp’s departure remains to be seen.
That said, Van der Kraan is thoroughly convinced about the 45-year-old’s ability to thrive on Merseyside straight away; and his proclamation that the coach invariably favours an enterprising style of football could quickly endear him to the Kop, so long as it’s not at the expense of defensive solidity.
If Slot can finish above United in his debut season at Liverpool and entertain the fans in the process, that’d obviously go down very well, though the minimum objective is to retain our Champions League status and hopefully challenge for major trophies (possibly winning a cup or two).
For all the problems he’s faced at Old Trafford over the past two years, Ten Hag has still won a trophy in both campaigns. Let’s hope his compatriot can follow suit in that regard, while crucially keeping the Reds challenging near the top of the table.
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