‘Flea in his ear’ – Arne Slot lays down a marker during gruelling Liverpool training session
Arne Slot appears to be laying down quite a marker with the reported intensity of his training sessions in his first few weeks in charge of Liverpool.
The early signs from the 45-year-old are that he’s very alike his predecessor Jurgen Klopp in some ways – affable and genial away from the pitch, but a fierce and vocal competitor in the white heat of battle.
Paul Gorst was among the journalists who witnessed the Reds’ open training session in Philadelphia on Sunday ahead of the midweek friendly against Arsenal, and he was struck by the ferocity of LFC’s new head coach, which was seemingly unleashed on one player above any other.
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The reporter wrote for the Liverpool Echo: “Arne Slot has wasted little time rolling up his sleeves and getting to work on the training pitches this summer and in front of the media on what was a roasting-hot July day, the Reds boss was in no mood to take this session lightly either.
“It was perhaps Fabio Carvalho who most had the flea in his ear with Slot imploring the versatile youngster to attack the spaces and dribble when in possession of the ball during what was a surprisingly intense hour.”
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Liverpool fans who watched the friendly against Real Betis last Friday night would’ve noticed how consistently vocal Slot had been throughout the game, constantly cajoling his team as he strives to have them in perfect shape for the start of the competitive season in mid-August.
The Dutchman will be patently aware of the task that he faces to try and live up to his legendary predecessor, and having yet to bring in any signings of his own, he’s clearly eager to command the respect of his players straight away by firmly communicating the standards that he expects from them.
Publicly at least, some of the squad have spoken very positively about the new facets that the 45-year-old has introduced to the Reds’ training sessions, so that would seem to bode well for their ability to take on board what the boss wants and implement it in a matchday setting.
Even in the intense Pennsylvania heat, Slot is taking no prisoners, and the hope is that those gruelling workouts will stand to them once there are Premier League points on offer and trophies for which to fight.
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