Liverpool's tunnel cam has offered a glimpse into Arne Slot's tactical approach at Anfield. The behind-the-scenes footage from Liverpool's recent match against Brentford reveals the striking similarities between Slot's tactics and those of former manager Jurgen Klopp.
Having taken over from the iconic Klopp this summer, who left to take a break after a trophy-laden nine-year stint including Champions League and Premier League triumphs, Slot has maintained the high-energy style synonymous with his predecessor. The video from the tunnel, captured before their 2-0 win over Brentford, showcases the team's tactical discipline.
In the clip, Liverpool stalwart Virgil Van Dijk is heard rallying the troops with: "Boys are we ready? Home game, be on them, press them," while Alisson chimes in with: "We're going to have a clean sheet yeah, boys?" Andy Robertson also contributes, reminding his teammates: "You're never too far away to help."
Related articles
The dialogue not only highlights the team's commitment to the pressing game that thrived under Klopp, but also underscores the squad's unity and collective spirit under Slot's stewardship. Upon succeeding Brendan Rodgers in 2015, Klopp swiftly introduced a high-octane counter-pressing game to Liverpool, aiming to not only create scoring opportunities but also to force errors and regain possession.
Slot's approach in his initial Premier League matches as manager appears remarkably akin to Klopp's blueprint, reports the Mirror. The ex-Feyenoord boss has acknowledged the parallels with Klopp's strategy but also pointed out a flaw in the former regime he intends to rectify.
In a candid Sky Sports interview with Jamie Carragher before Liverpool's recent home match, Slot said: "Liverpool used every moment they could to play the ball in behind [before]. That meant that the game was sometimes a bit open, especially in the last period of Jurgen.
"Sometimes I tell the players to get a better judgement in risk and reward. So if you can put some balls in front of the goalkeeper, please try and do so. If not, it's also a good idea to keep the ball, but I'm sure if Jurgen was in the room now he'd say he'd want to keep the ball once in a while too.
"In general, I see that still some players are trying to play the difficult ball which doesn't get the reward for the risk they take. I believe the one reasons why the players buy in [to my work] is that the differences are not that big. There are only small differences between Jurgen and me and the general idea of how we want to play football is quite similar."
Slot has kicked off his tenure as Liverpool manager with a promising 2-0 victory over Ipswich in his debut match, before the Reds maintained their winning streak with another 2-0 triumph against Brentford at the weekend. Now, all eyes are on Sunday's clash, where Slot will face his first significant challenge as he leads his team to Old Trafford to confront arch-rivals Manchester United.
