‘Absolutely flawless’ – Gary Neville sets his loyalties aside with glowing appraisal of Arne Slot
Gary Neville isn’t slow to take a cheeky swipe at Liverpool at any opportunity, but he’s set his allegiances aside to heap glowing praise on Arne Slot for the job the 47-year-old has done at Anfield.
The Dutchman seemed a surprising appointment to many external observers when he was chosen to replace the iconic Jurgen Klopp in the Reds’ dugout, but he confounded his initial doubters by romping to the Premier League title in his first season in charge.
He also has his team leading the way as we approach the quarterway mark of the current top-flight campaign, albeit with LFC not hitting the heights of 2024/25 performance-wise and having their momentum checked with successive defeats over the past week.
Neville heaps praise on ‘flawless’ Slot
In the latest episode of Stick to Football, in which the great Sir Kenny Dalglish featured as a special guest, Neville voiced his admiration for the job that Slot has done both on and off the pitch since taking charge of Liverpool in June 2024.
The ex-Manchester United defender said (via The Overlap): “Jurgen was like a force of nature when he came in with his personality. I thought when Jurgen Klopp left, the personality drop and the challenge of him leaving would be enormous.
“What Arne Slot has done in 15 months is absolutely incredible. The way in which he represents the club, the way in which he carries himself in interviews, the way in which he makes decisions – he’s been absolutely flawless since he’s come in.”
Slot has done an exceptional job at Liverpool
Neville won’t exactly achieve ‘guest of honour’ status at Anfield given his loyalty towards Man United and disdain for the Reds, but we agree with every word he’s said about Slot here, which contrasts with what Wayne Rooney has been saying about the Dutcman this week.
The results on the pitch speak for themselves, with the 47-year-old earning 99 points from his 44 Premier League games so far and winning 45 of his first 66 matches in charge of LFC, who clinched the top-flight title with a month to spare last season.
Even more praiseworthy than that is how he’s conducted himself in the job, most particularly his ability to say exactly the right words and strike exactly the right tone whenever he’s addressed the tragic loss of Diogo Jota since his death three months ago.
Slot has impeccably shouldered the burden of not just his own grief, but that of the players in his squad and the city of Liverpool, and taken on the extreme psychological task of lifting the team after the most devastating of blows.
There’s no active manager in world football who we’d rather have over this club right now, and two bad results over the past week don’t change that stance in the slightest.
The post ‘Absolutely flawless’ – Gary Neville sets his loyalties aside with glowing appraisal of Arne Slot appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.