The key tasks facing Jurgen Klopp’s successor at Anfield

Arne Slot has been confirmed as Liverpool’s next manager, with the Dutchman leaving Feyenoord to fill Jurgen Klopp’s sizeable shoes at Anfield.

Klopp’s glittering reign on Merseyside did not quite end the way Liverpool’s supporters would have wanted, with a miserable April seeing their Premier League title hopes slip away.

Running out of steam at the vital moment, Liverpool perhaps showed they remain in a state of transition, some way away from being able to best Manchester City and Arsenal through a gruelling Premier League season.

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Slot takes over at an exciting but potentially hazardous time, with plenty of big decisions to be made during his first summer at the helm.

Here, we run through the most pressing tasks awaiting Slot when he arrives in England.

Step up midfield rebuild

Klopp got Liverpool’s midfield rebuild underway last summer, recognising – perhaps a year too late – that it was time for Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner to move on.

In came Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo, but there is still a nagging sense that something is missing in the Reds’ engine room.

Szoboszlai looked the real deal early on in 2023-24 and seems well-suited to the vertical style of passing Slot expects from his side.

Mac Allister, meanwhile, has surely been the most impressive of Liverpool’s midfield recruits, but protecting the back four is not the strong point of a player who has played as a 10 and an eight for Brighton and Hove Albion and Argentina.

Macca rises to open the scoring 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/XGKeVL1K38

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) May 19, 2024

Signing a truly elite defensive midfielder – or an up-and-coming prospect capable of growing into that role – should be on Slot’s checklist, with a lack of control…

Source link : https://www.101greatgoals.com/features/arne-slot-liverpool-jurgen-klopp/

Author : Harry Carr

Publish date : 2024-05-20 20:15:42

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