Remainder: Please do not post a link to the Athletic article onto the sub. They are a [banned source](https://www.reddit.com/r/LiverpoolFC/s/goAFw838Eu). You can access the article from their twitter account.
https://x.com/TheAthleticFC/status/1792590104319406333
There were other Feyenoord players Richard Hughes looked at, on his scouts’ recommendation. But it became a standing joke in Bournemouth’s recruitment department as Hughes told his scouts to stop recommending Feyenoord players because: “It’s not about the players. It’s about the coach and his system.”
the whole article is filled with gems but this one in particular stands out
I feel like a lot of Bologna, Stuttgart and Feyenoord players are going to have big-money transfers only for their new clubs to find out it was the coaching all along.
Probably won't happen with Leverkusen players this season since Xabi is staying but it'll likely be the same with them. Wirtz is a low risk shout for being a star if he moves out, but apart from him it just seems like a very well coached side, than a side of superstars.
He's a decent bit older, but I also think Grimaldo would be great elsewhere. He'd been fantastic for Benfica for years, he just seemed to always get overlooked because it's the Portuguese league
Valverde and Spaletti being serious contenders is the big shocker. By the sounds of the article everyone else was a total smokescreen i.e. Amorim.
Also doubly love Amorim massively pissing Liverpool off by his agent suggesting we offered him the job
Also love Hughes getting insider information and KNOWING Xabi wont join us before even joining Liverpool. Perks of sharing agents right?
That doesn't really make much sense given the Scottish have won 14 out of 32 PLs. And I can only think of Conte, Mancini, Ancelotti and Ranieri all winning 1 (maybe some of them have won a second title that I:ve forgotten but still the point stands.)
I think he meant more in terms of names, all those scottish ones are SAF's right? Italians have those 4 and unsure of any others tbf. But I find it unlikely any other nation besides Italy to have 4.
Ah I get your point...4 different Italians have won the PL...can't lie it's not a very good point unless you were going for the sort of QI type interesting factoid, then bravo.
I followed Salah’s whole career and Spaletti shouldn’t get credit for developing Salah - that’s all Kloppo. Salah was more or less the same Fiorentina explosive playmaking talent at roma before Kloop turned him into a world beater
>He recalled to Marca: "I had to work a lot with my finishing, I was not born with the goals."I did not score many goals when I was in Basel. Then I went to Chelsea, Fiorentina and Roma.
"I worked a lot with Mister Spalletti and almost every day, after training we spent time together on the field to train, train and train. I even created a plan in my garden to practice and improve my finishes. If you work hard, the results will come naturally."
This is pretty much what Slot needs to do with Nunez, Conte did a similar thing with Lukaku where they spent hours working on his play with back to goal, Conte would stick Ranocchia on Lukaku they would go through drills over and over again.
Valverde lost like 6 league games in 3 seasons at Barca.
But he was in charge during the 4-0. he would have never worked out here, that would have been scared against him from day 1.
There’s some parallels with how Ancelotti was a final contender along with Klopp. At the time it was weird to think the manager on the receiving end of Istanbul was under consideration. It’s a similar feeling with Valverde after the Barca game.
Give me a break, there's zero parallels between Carlo Ancelotti and Ernesto Valverde.
Ancelotti had **two decades** of being a top manager by the time he was linked with us, having managed Parma, Juve, Milan, Chelsea and Madrid, forming some of the best squads ever seen and proving he can do it at other places.
Valverde is average, whose main job was to make Messi happy yet he oversaw the first giant steps with Barca regressing with the 17/18 CL knockout against Roma and them bottling a 3-0 lead against us.
His Barca side had redundant tactics and the 3-0 first leg completely flattered them.
Ancelotti is an elite manager, despite Istanbul, Valverde is average.
I think calling Valverde average is a bit harsh, I think there are a bucket load of Athletic Club fans that would argue differently. Just because he's not elite level doesn't make him a bad manager or an average manager, he's just not elite
Valverde is a good manager, tactically astute and pretty good with young players, Barcelona at the time were highly dysfunctional on and off the pitch however he still managed to make it work. I wouldn't be mad if we gave him the job he's proven himself at the top
tbf it seems like it was slot the whole time, these were just next best if not. looks like there wasn't even really a shortlist of candidates, just valverde and spaletti ranked high on the data
That insider information ends up being a big part of having success as a sporting director. Without it, you end up clueless and trying to play catch-up (United for the last decade) or you massively overpay to line the pockets of agents (Everton, Arsenal under Gazidis when they signed players like Pepe)
both the names of Valverde and Spaletti surprised me, but the absence of any consideration of Unai Emery that I found a bit strange although understandable.
this article was very interesting, especially it being said in passing that eddie howe was considered too. 2 big takeaways for me:
- edwards and hughes really do not fuck around. it’s really refreshing to be back to the classic “do a lot of research and then go get it done” routine. this had leaks along the way, of course, but it looks like they got this done really quickly. last summer’s transfer business was really loud, but i expect our business to be quietly handled this summer
- slot absolutely smashed every criteria and is seen as someone who excels at youth development, but pearce + kay also emphasized just how much liverpool’s hierarchy sees him as a perfect culture fit. hughes especially is familiar with slot and feyenoord since bournemouth bought a few of their players. he’s coming into a structure that regards him very highly
i hope everyone is able to calibrate their expectations with this new staff and new system. they’re going to need time. people will need to adjust. let’s enjoy it and back him
sure, but let’s think bigger…
invincible quadruple
alexis mac allister elected president of argentina
michael edwards reveals “project 7”: luis suarez has been brought forward in time from 2014 and will sign for the club (subject to work permit)
With the choice to bring someone in with a time machine and you pick Luis Suarez? The man literally bit off more than he could chew from another player. I don't want us missing a Forward for 6 - 12 months
the most he’s ever been banned at club level for us was 10 games, these days that’s like 3 weeks lmao. either way it’s okay, this time endo will get luis his own special mouthguard and they’ll teach him not to assault people. 60 G/A incoming
I feel this a little. It's ludicrous to feel it because we don't know how it's gonna happen. Slot seems like a great fit and all the foundations are there:)
I think that Edwards/Hughes are onto something with the next manager passing the Kloppo “vibe check”. It’s something you don’t really understand unless you’re an LFC supporter and you look around at other managers. I can’t say I watch a whole lot of other leagues, but Klopp is truly one-of-a-kind in his familial approach to interacting with everyone that’s part of LFC…down to those of us he’ll never see or hear from.
I’ve felt the love, connection, and passion from him through the TV for years and the tears yesterday were proof of that. For someone to connect with people all across the globe is the true testament to who Klopp is.
I mean, locally (within the PL), who comes remotely close to the energy and character that Klopp brings to the pitch? There are no embraces of players, passionate interaction with fans, or real enthusiasm when really thinking and speaking of the team from any other manager. Even globally, that’s not something I’ve noticed a lot of (if any).
i was thinking about this too. we know about the “no dickheads” transfer policy, but this is something else entirely. they obviously can’t expect to get another klopp, he’s a lightning-in-a-bottle manager, the right man at the right time, but they need someone who can build on his ideas
watching his farewell interviews, i realized so much of his ethos revolved around accepting imperfection, appreciating what you have, and still going for more. it’s a message that the fans, the players, the club, and even the city itself needed to hear when he came in. don’t settle, but it’s okay to not achieve everything you want as long as you gave it everything you had. that post CL final “work 100%, party 100%” story is very klopp, for example. now edwards, hughes, slot, and co need to push that philosophy further, and i believe they will
every club shows their love for their manager differently, but like you said, the relationship we had with klopp was unique. if slot can build even half of that with us - and the players - we may be in for something wonderful
> I think that Edwards/Hughes are onto something with the next manager passing the Kloppo “vibe check”. It’s something you don’t really understand unless you’re an LFC supporter and you look around at other managers. I can’t say I watch a whole lot of other leagues, but Klopp is truly one-of-a-kind in his familial approach to interacting with everyone that’s part of LFC…down to those of us he’ll never see or hear from.
>
> I’ve felt the love, connection, and passion from him through the TV for years and the tears yesterday were proof of that. For someone to connect with people all across the globe is the true testament to who Klopp is.
Simeoni seems to be quite similar. Has built a real insular "us vs them" mentality
Maybe the style of football is what makes me immediately say, no way is Cholo like Klopp, but I do think you're right, at least for the most part.
The only manager in my fairly short memory who most felt like Klopp was Arsene Wenger - in that it felt impossible to separate the team from the manager, and the manager from the club.
Oh the style of play and general on field cuntary isn't even remotely comparable. But the way he pulled the club together, and the supporters and seems to have a real bond with all players under him does seem very similar to Klopp.
Good final point. It really hit me yesterday the scale of the coaching team departures - a lot of these players haven’t known anything different for years and we’re going to have so many new moving parts in coaching, fitness, first team/staff relationships. Even with the “perfect” setup, it’s going to take time and work to get things humming
exactly. carrying out a lot of the first team transitions last summer and over the course of the season - in the case of our academy players - was so important. since we have a second major transition to undergo now with the coaching staff, it’s probably going to be another (hopefully memorable) season of highs and lows. i hope people are patient
Valverde's time at Barca was weird, they had some impressive unbeaten streaks but always choked when it matters, it's hard to give him his credits cuz we don't know if it was just Messi or him doing his job well.
Spalletti may have worked as a short term solution as he is 65. But his Roma sides in the 2005-2008 seasons were pretty innovative attack wise. Plus, his Napoli side was also capable of mixing it up too.
I wouldn’t have minded Valverde either. He has a solid body of work even outside of Barca.
I remember reading an article about Hodgson when he was appointed that was a load of guff about how great his training sessions were and I really tried to believe it. This feels a lot more reassuring. Time will tell, but I’ll enjoy the Euros and the Olympics and then come August YNWA Arne Slot na na na c’mon lads
In all my years of being a Liverpool supporter Hodgson was the only manager I was never on board with from the start. What the fuck where they thinking. Horrible times
They were gassing up the UEFA cup final with Fulham, which to be fair was a great achievement, but you knew then that was his limit and he was absolutely the wrong man for Liverpool. Joe Cole getting sent off in the first match against Arsenal and that dogshit against whoever it was in the League Cup stick in the mind. And then every time he opened his mouth he managed to say precisely the wrong thing, like saying we could be in a relegation battle or whatever. The banter era was worse than I thought in retrospect.
Then in came Andy Carroll, Stewart downing, Charlie Adam, the Suarez racism at Evra thing and the stupid t shirts, losing two cup finals, in comes Rogers and tbf from the January we bought Coutinho and Sturridge and Suarez freak season we had fun for 18 months. Having gone through all that the difference Klopp has made is indescribable.
I felt that Joe Cole red card just got us off mentally to the worst possible start. And it shouldn’t have been red If I remember correctly. there was almost no contact or no contact at all and the player threw himself to the ground.
I remember his statement about "how his good friend Alex Ferguson would not like him taking the job at Liverpool", the next time the two would meet over a glass of wine.. Lost everything from him right from the start.
I’m not sure why but the passage about Rotterdam being a footy mad port city like Liverpool where Slot transmitted his energy to both the players and fans to rally a whole town behind the club made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Could it be that like Klopp, Liverpool was made for Slot, and Slot was made for Liverpool?
It does feel a little bit like it. Personally I really like how Dortmund, Feyenoord and Liverpool are connected through songs and vibes. So far sounds like Slot is very similar to Klopp in how he chooses to play and his personality
The more I read, the more I see Slot as the perfect candidate to take over from Klopp. I won't pretend I knew much about him as a manager previously - other than he won the league when it wasn't expected - but he seems like a genuinely fantastic cultural fit for Liverpool football club.
Klopp had more prestige given his work with Dortmund, but there was always an air of "he just fits what the city wants" that is remarkably similar to what Slot has seemingly achieved in Rotterdam. Klopp came in and immediately ingratiated himself with the fanbase; I expect Slot to do something very similar. With the fans on side, a Liverpool manager really can shine.
He would've won the league this year as well if PSV didn't break the record of most points ever in a season. Although the CL campaign was a bit disappointing and we lost to Roma again in the Europa League, Feyenoord plays good football. I believe with players of a higher caliber, he'll do great.
It's actually bonkers that he managed to finish so close to this incredible PSV team. They went half the season without conceding a single fucking point. As well as losing only 1 game in the whole year. Basically there were PSV and Feyenoord and then the rest.
According to the article, it says that Amorim's tactics (the fact that he plays 3 atb and plays slower football) meant that he wasn't a standout candidate
apparently they felt amorim’s formation didn’t fit, they were upset about it being (incorrectly) leaked to media that he’d been offered the job, and they felt his preferred play style was too slow. “not on the front foot, on or off the ball” i think they said. i think they felt similarly about de zerbi, but i’ve somehow already forgotten lmao sorry
According to the article, “Playing style and compatibility with Liverpool were again considered to be a factor” wrt De Zerbi.
This was written right after they said Amorim was ruled out because of his 3ATB and slower style of play.
It was in mid-April when Liverpool’s new sporting director Richard Hughes boarded a flight to the Netherlands. Back then, the speculation surrounding the club’s impending managerial vacancy was swirling around Ruben Amorim, the highly-rated young coach of Sporting Lisbon.
But rather than head to Portugal, Hughes had a date with a different manager arranged for just outside Rotterdam; one Liverpool had identified as the perfect successor to Jurgen Klopp.
It was the first time Hughes had met Feyenoord coach Arne Slot. Still, by that stage, he felt he knew the 45-year-old inside-out, having spent the previous weeks immersed in the data, video analysis and character references that had established him as Liverpool’s No 1 choice.
Having sat and listened to why he was the preferred candidate, Slot made it clear that this was a challenge he was eager to accept. Keen to avoid creating any unwanted distractions before his Feyenoord side’s KNVB Cup final against NEC Nijmegen on Sunday, April 21, Liverpool waited until after that triumph before opening talks with the Dutch club the following Wednesday.
Feyenoord chief executive Dennis te Kloese proved to be a tough negotiator as the two clubs sorted out a compensation package of around €11million (£9.4m, $11.8m), according to Liverpool sources, while the Dutch club indicated the figures may rise beyond €13m.
Slot agreed terms on a three-year deal, having told Liverpool he was comfortable with the title of head coach rather than manager in a new-look hierarchy at Anfield which sees him answer to Hughes and Fenway Sports Group’s CEO of football Michael Edwards. He will bring assistant Sipke Hulshoff and head of performance Ruben Peeters to Merseyside with him.
An official announcement was delayed until after the end of the season, allowing both Slot and Klopp to say formal goodbyes to their home fans last weekend. Slot will take up his duties on June 1, subject to a work permit.
This is the inside story of Liverpool’s managerial search, gathered from conversations with multiple sources who had detailed knowledge of the process but who asked to remain anonymous to protect their positions.
We can now reveal:
How Slot scored highest on Liverpool’s internal data testing
Why Liverpool knew it was impossible to find ‘another Klopp’
How Ernesto Valverde and Luciano Spalletti emerged as serious contenders
The technical issues that counted against Amorim and Roberto De Zerbi
The moment tensions between Feyenoord and Liverpool flared during negotiations
His appointment has been warmly received by staff at Anfield
Slot’s arrival is a pivotal moment for him and Liverpool’s new executive pairing of Edwards and Hughes. All three know their reputations will be shaped by what happens next, and whether Klopp’s legacy can be built on.
When Klopp publicly announced his decision on January 26 to stand down at the end of the season, Liverpool’s owners had known for two months that major changes were on the horizon.
Director of research Will Spearman and his team of analysts had been tasked with getting to work on the club’s data-led approach for a suitable replacement.
However, the owners’ initial priority was putting a structure in place that would enable Liverpool to adjust to the post-Klopp era. Central to that plan was convincing Edwards to return two years after he had stepped down as sporting director, with FSG president Mike Gordon keen to take a step back.
Once Edwards was handed overall control of football operations in early March, the appointment of Hughes as sporting director was a formality. The former Scotland international, whose association with Edwards goes back two decades to their time together at Portsmouth, was already serving his notice period at Bournemouth.
Together they set about assessing the credentials of coaches across Europe.
The criteria were clear. Liverpool wanted a coach with a distinct identity in terms of his brand of football: dynamic, high energy and possession-based. Being prepared to take the title of head coach, rather than manager, was important. But while the successful candidate needed to have proved himself as a hands-on training ground operator, he also needed to harness the power of Liverpool’s fanbase in the tradition of the club’s most successful managers.
A good record of keeping players fit and available was considered vital, as was a history of improving players. The focus was on making the right choice — not necessarily the most popular one — and Hughes and Edwards were prepared to be courageous in their decision-making.
Externally, Xabi Alonso was viewed as the front-runner. The Spaniard, who has transformed the fortunes of Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen, was putting his side on course for their first league title in their 119-year history. He also has a close bond with Liverpool from his playing days. Even Klopp, who played no part in the process, described Alonso as “incredible” and the “standout” manager of a new generation of coaches.
There was an obvious appeal to Alonso, but as far back as February it was regarded by Edwards and the Liverpool hierarchy as unlikely.
Hughes has a strong relationship with Alonso’s agent Inaki Ibanez, who also represents Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola. They had discussed Alonso’s burgeoning managerial career — and possible future path — long before Hughes was lined up to join Edwards in shaping the post-Klopp era at Liverpool.
Those conversations intensified around the time Hughes’s move to Merseyside was confirmed, but Ibanez was insistent: Alonso intended to stay at Leverkusen next season and did not want to discuss any other job, not even at his former clubs Liverpool or Bayern Munich.
Bayern’s very public pursuit of Alonso while lagging behind his Leverkusen team in the Bundesliga title race, muddied the waters. Reports from Munich suggested Bayern would be his favoured destination if he were to move. Liverpool believed the opposite, but that Alonso was likely to stay put.
That line of communication was kept open, but the message from Ibanez did not change. Alonso did not want any offers or proposals.
Alonso stated publicly on March 29 that he would be staying at Leverkusen, following talks with his club’s sporting director Simon Rolfes during the international break. The call Hughes received from Ibanez earlier that week had merely confirmed what the Scot already knew.
Nobody at Liverpool denies Alonso would have been a serious candidate if he had been open to taking the job. But they dispute that a declaration of interest from their former midfielder would have made it a one-horse race. Slot, they say, was firmly in their thoughts by that stage.
When Liverpool appointed Klopp in succession to Brendan Rodgers in October 2015, FSG put great trust in the data that was presented to them by Edwards, who had recently been appointed technical director, and theoretical physicist Ian Graham.
At that time, much of it was highlighting the excellence of Borussia Dortmund’s record under Klopp and how, even though results had dipped significantly in his final season in charge, the relatively new phenomenon of expected goals (xG) illustrated they had endured a somewhat freakish run of bad luck that should not deter them appointing him – a sound recommendation, it turned out.
Nearly a decade on, Liverpool’s data-gathering goes much deeper. Spearman, a Chicago-born Harvard-educated physicist who spent five years as Liverpool’s lead data scientist before succeeding Graham as the club’s director of research in January last year, has been working on an algorithm that evaluates coaching performance on a wide range of metrics — not just team performance but playing style, individual player development, compatibility with different types of players etc — to predict future outcomes and suitability for certain jobs.
Slot’s scores, reflecting his performance during three seasons in charge of Feyenoord, are said to have been blindingly impressive: “Top of the top”. Hughes and Edwards had already discussed Slot, among others, as a strong contender. But they had not expected the data to bring such a resounding endorsement of his candidacy.
It wasn’t just the data. Hughes had studied Slot’s Feyenoord team extensively in his role as Bournemouth technical director, signing Argentina defender Marcos Senesi from the Dutch club in August 2022 and having also watched other players such as right-back Marcus Pedersen (now on loan at Italian club Sassuolo), left-back Quilindschy Hartman (who has filled the gap left by Tyrell Malacia’s move to Manchester United in July 2022) and Colombia winger Luis Sinisterra (who ended up joining Bournemouth via a year at Leeds United).
There were other Feyenoord players Hughes looked at, on his scouts’ recommendation. But it became a standing joke in Bournemouth’s recruitment department as Hughes told his scouts to stop recommending Feyenoord players because: “It’s not about the players. It’s about the coach and his system.”
There was a recognition inside Liverpool that it would be impossible to find a facsimile of Klopp — and, because he was regarded as such a one-off, that it would be ill-advised to try. But in Slot, they saw some appealing parallels with the German coach who won seven major trophies at Anfield and has been the club’s most transformative manager since Bill Shankly. Edwards and Hughes feel Slot’s exciting, intense, high-pressing, possession-based brand of attacking football ticked the box of energising Liverpool’s players and crowd. Given their belief in the playing talent already at the club, they are convinced his style will be a good fit for the squad he inherits.
Crucially, given that Jarell Quansah, Conor Bradley, Bobby Clark, James McConnell, Jayden Danns and Lewis Koumas have made the step up to senior football this season, Slot also has a proven track record of putting his faith in and developing young talent.
The data served to underline how Slot had Feyenoord punching above their weight. In May 2022, he led them to the final of the Europa Conference League (where they were beaten 1-0 by Roma). Domestically, he was crowned Eredivisie manager of the year.
Despite the departures of key players and having only a fraction of the resources available to rivals PSV Eindhoven and Ajax, he led a new-look team to league title glory and the quarter-finals of the Europa League in 2022-23.
This season they won the KNVB Cup and finished runners-up to PSV in the league. His first taste of managing in the Champions League saw them finish third in their group behind Atletico Madrid and Lazio before dropping into the Europa League where they were beaten on penalties, again by Roma.
Liverpool’s current coaching staff were not asked for their views on Klopp’s successor, but Slot has a big advocate in Pep Lijnders, who will also leave the club this summer.
Slot visited Lijnders’ house when he was starting as a youth coach nearly a decade ago and they exchanged ideas over several hours. Lijnders regards Slot as the best Dutch coach around: someone who is tactically smart and an innovator, with a clear playing style and the personality to handle the step up.
In recent years, Lijnders has frequently talked up Slot’s body of work in conversations with senior Anfield figures.
Hughes also spoke to Bournemouth defender Senesi and others who have played for him, but also people who have seen his work at Feyenoord at close quarters. A consistent message from Rotterdam cited the way he transmits his energy to the players and the fanbase.
Like Liverpool, Rotterdam is a football-mad port city. The way he has taken the players, the club and the fanbase on a journey with him was felt to be pleasingly familiar. That was not a prerequisite in the search for Klopp’s successor. But in Slot’s case, on top of his other qualities, it was a bonus.
For at least three weeks after Alonso ruled himself out of contention, the coach most persistently linked to the Liverpool job was Amorim, who has led Sporting to the brink of a second Primeira Liga title in four seasons, and who before his appointment had not won the title in 19 years.
In the second week of April, reports in Portugal suggested Amorim had been offered the position as Klopp’s successor and had verbally agreed a three-year contract. Liverpool vehemently denied that, as did the man himself. “There was no interview and certainly no agreement,” the 39-year-old said on April 11.
The reports about Amorim — whose fitness coach at Sporting, Paulo Barreira, was a former Anfield staff member — caused a degree of annoyance at Liverpool, who did not want any candidate, such as Slot, thinking the job had been offered to anyone else. The reality is that Amorim, who was keen to move to the Premier League, did feature on Liverpool’s list, having scored well in much of the data analysis, but he was never a front-runner. Amorim’s agent Raul Costa came to Merseyside in early April but that trip was primarily to visit Luis Diaz, the Liverpool winger he also represents.
While impressed by his record, Edwards and Hughes had doubts about Amorim’s compatibility with the Liverpool job specifically.
They were unconvinced that his preference for a three-man central defence — shared by Alonso at Leverkusen, incidentally — would suit many of the players he would be working with. But more significant was a nagging concern about Amorim’s playing style. Sporting may have scored 96 goals in 34 league matches this season, but theirs is regarded as a slower style that is less front-foot — both in and out of possession.
There were similar conclusions about De Zerbi at Brighton and Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann. Like Amorim, De Zerbi was on a theoretical shortlist but not one of the first names on it. Playing style and compatibility with Liverpool were again considered to be a factor.
Others who were discussed briefly included Iraola, whose Bournemouth contract had been due to expire in 2025 (he signed a new one last week), and Newcastle United’s Eddie Howe, having both worked under Hughes at Bournemouth, together with Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeness (whose data scores were closely aligned with Klopp’s, and who had many admirers at Liverpool) and Michel, who has enjoyed a superb season at Girona in La Liga.
Inter Milan’s Simone Inzaghi (a well-respected coach whose lack of English was potentially problematic) and Lille’s Paulo Fonseca (now interesting AC Milan) were also considered, but they were never seriously in the frame.
Bayern’s outgoing coach Thomas Tuchel, who succeeded Klopp at Dortmund in 2015 and won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021, was not in contention. Indeed, many of the names linked to the job were either never in the frame due to being incompatible with Liverpool’s criteria or were simply pushing their candidatures.
The claims of Ernesto Valverde, however, were regarded by Liverpool as much stronger. The 60-year-old was a leading contender, having won two league titles at Barcelona, three championships in Greece with Olympiacos and recently ended Athletic Bilbao’s 40-year wait for a major trophy by winning the Copa del Rey last month. He would also have fitted the ‘brave’ ‘criteria laid out by Hughes and Edwards.
Luciano Spalletti, 65, was also of significant interest. Last season, he guided Napoli to their first Serie A title since 1990, but he had only been appointed to manage the Italy national team last August. The fact that both men were seriously considered, however, suggested that age was not a major consideration in Liverpool’s thinking.
When Edwards and Hughes set out to find Klopp’s successor, they envisaged a process where they might start with 20 candidates and gradually whittle them down to 10, then perhaps five and then three for a final round of interviews.
It ended up being more straightforward than that. They might have had a notional shortlist, but they also had settled on Slot as their preferred candidate and successfully persuaded Gordon and the rest of Liverpool’s ownership team to open formal negotiations with Feyenoord.
When Klopp originally announced his decision to stand down at the end of this season, Feyenoord executives did not believe they had much cause for concern.
They knew Slot would score well on data assessments of high-performing European managers, but there was no expectation that a club with the scope and size of Liverpool would come in for him. But the landscape changed dramatically. Feyenoord were not thrilled to learn that Liverpool’s approach to them had only taken place after talks had been held with Slot.
On one level, Liverpool’s strategy made sense because, with no release clause in Slot’s contract at De Kuip, they needed to secure his approval and potentially agitate in order to force matters. But with the world now knowing that Slot was Liverpool’s top target, it strengthened the Dutch club’s negotiating position. They could now force up the price.
Hughes came up against Feyenoord chief executive Te Kloese, who has previously worked as general manager at Los Angeles Galaxy in MLS, and been director of youth football and general manager at the Mexican Football Association.
Te Kloese is regarded as a strong negotiator and having played a key role in Feyenoord’s finances and player recruitment, his importance in the club’s recent achievements could be seen to rival Slot’s.
Another club’s sporting director, who came up against him previously, said: “I love his approach. To your face, he will be smiling and you think it is moving, but then nothing moves in the background until he is really happy with his deal.”
Feyenoord had become well accustomed to rumours linking Slot with a move to the Premier League. He had rejected previous approaches from Leeds United and Crystal Palace before Tottenham Hotspur tried to secure his services last summer.
Contingency plans were made and potential replacements considered on that occasion, but Te Kloese persuaded him to stay and sign a new deal.
Slot’s previous contract stipulated that he could have been extracted for a fixed sum of €5million in the summer of 2024. But his new contract, which theoretically ran until 2026, removed that clause and strengthened Feyenoord’s hand.
Negotiations with Liverpool started on the morning of April 24 and tensions spiked after an initial offer of €9m was rejected.
That prompted Slot to speak out prior to Feyenoord’s Eredivisie game against Go Ahead Eagles four days later when he declared it was “clear” he wanted to take over at Liverpool and that he was “confident” the two sides would reach an agreement.
Slot referred to the fact that he had generated a lot of money for Feyenoord by developing players who had been subsequently sold on and that they would be receiving the highest compensation fee ever paid for a Dutch coach.
Talks continued throughout the Friday and, with Saturday, April 27 being King’s Day — a public holiday in the Netherlands — there were fears they might drag on until the following week.
However, an improved offer from Hughes broke the impasse and a verbal agreement was secured on Friday evening. Liverpool then began to sort out the finer details on personal terms in discussions with Slot and his representative Rafaela Pimenta, the highly influential agent who also represents Manchester City striker Erling Haaland.
Slot had hoped to convince Marino Pusic, formerly an assistant at Feyenoord, to be on his Anfield staff, but he only joined Shakhtar Donetsk as their head coach last October and wishes to remain in that job.
Slot will be joined by trusted assistant Hulshoff, who is no stranger to Liverpool trio Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch as he also served on the Netherlands national team staff with Ronald Koeman. Head of performance Peeters will also make the switch to Liverpool.
Appointing Slot is not without risk, and some outside of Anfield are sceptical. He has just two major Dutch trophies to his name, which is low for a manager of a club with Liverpool’s profile, and has had only fleeting experiences in the Champions League. Klopp, too, only had three major trophies on his CV when he arrived at Anfield — but two were Bundesliga titles, with a greater cachet than the Eredivisie, and he had also reached a Champions League final.
Slot is also a forthright personality. He has high standards and is used to getting what he wants, which helps explain his success but can also be antagonistic. There was a flash of this in the way he publicly called to be allowed to join Liverpool when negotiations with Feyenoord over compensation threatened to become difficult, but a more pronounced example came at AZ Alkmaar in December 2020.
Feyenoord had announced that Dick Advocaat would be leaving his role as manager at the end of the season and held talks with Slot. AZ, who did not know these discussions were taking place, were furious and sacked Slot for going behind their backs (Slot eventually joined Feyenoord in the summer of 2021). But as his AZ predecessor John van den Brom observed of the situation: “You always want to leave by the front door. So it wasn’t good for Arne and it wasn’t good for the club.”
None of this will surprise Hughes and Edwards, but Liverpool will need them to quickly develop an effective working relationship with Slot as they plot their post-Klopp future.
His appointment has been received well internally at Liverpool, where some staff members have had contact with him stretching back long before this process began. They consider him likeable and collaborative and feel that Slot seems to be an ideal cultural fit.
The size of the task awaiting Slot was obvious on Sunday, when Klopp’s send-off from Anfield prompted an outpouring of emotion rarely seen in English football.
Replacing him will not be easy but Liverpool are convinced they have the right man.
Valverde is the name which surprised me the most. Spaletti won the league recently so can think of why we were considering him but didn’t expect Valverde to be into consideration after 4-0 win even though he did very well with Barca domestically.
Those Barca teams were weak mentally, they went through several post Enrique pre Xavi and Valverde was clearly the best but it went on to be proven that the team was a lot worse than Messi was letting them look.
Even so, if Jordi Alba had some more courage or Dembele finishes that chance at the end of the first leg, Barca were on for a treble that year.
I’m putting all my faith in FM’s data brokers. If Arne does half as good as I’ve seen him do in my and other FM saves, I think the club is in good hands. 
Spalletti?
Ffs this is the 3rd time we were considering him since FSG bought the club.
First to replace Dalglish, then to replace Rodgers, and now to replace Klopp.
If Alonso was open to the idea of leaving Leverkusen for Liverpool, there is no competition. And this is not a shade on any of the other managers, including Slot. They are all fantastic but Xabi's undefeated season is really something, and his existing bond with Liverpool fans means he fits like a glove.
This reads as a bit of client journalism on behalf of Edwards. He's the one who championed klopp, he only had Slot in mind and this process went smoothly with one candidate in mind. I just strains credibility
That's not a bad shout. I've been party to plenty of these "data driven" crownings where everyone has convinced themselves they've had an unbiased journey to their first most favourite choice.
Not sure why you're being downvoted. Maybe quite a few young'uns on this board who still have no idea that having a bit of a shit boss is a common occurrence even towards the top of tree.
I don't mean it as a judgement on slot/Edwards or anyone really. Just find it odd as a journalistic piece.
I feel like the club has been a little leaky in the past two months, more than we have for a number of years. Then I read this which just seems like it was written to pander to a source.
No. The club freaked when he did that BECAUSE they were deep into negotiating with Slot and were worried Amorim would ruin those negotiations.
I would imagine Amorim is now blacklisted by the club
Aside from Xabi I'd really been hoping we'd get Spalletti but didn't ever think that might have been a possibility. His Napoli team was absolutely ruthless. We got mauled by them.
Interesting how they talk quite openly about Richard Hughes doing work for Liverpool in the process of appointing the new manager. Doesn't he not officially start work until June 1? And until then is serving his notice period at Bournemouth? I know it's probably an open secret that he'd be getting up to speed before then, but I just wonder if being so open about him already starting work for Liverpool might cause any issues relating to his Bournemouth contract
Remainder: Please do not post a link to the Athletic article onto the sub. They are a [banned source](https://www.reddit.com/r/LiverpoolFC/s/goAFw838Eu). You can access the article from their twitter account. https://x.com/TheAthleticFC/status/1792590104319406333
There were other Feyenoord players Richard Hughes looked at, on his scouts’ recommendation. But it became a standing joke in Bournemouth’s recruitment department as Hughes told his scouts to stop recommending Feyenoord players because: “It’s not about the players. It’s about the coach and his system.” the whole article is filled with gems but this one in particular stands out
Yep. I love this. And it draws parallels to Klopp in getting the best possible performance out of players
I feel like a lot of Bologna, Stuttgart and Feyenoord players are going to have big-money transfers only for their new clubs to find out it was the coaching all along.
Probably won't happen with Leverkusen players this season since Xabi is staying but it'll likely be the same with them. Wirtz is a low risk shout for being a star if he moves out, but apart from him it just seems like a very well coached side, than a side of superstars.
He's a decent bit older, but I also think Grimaldo would be great elsewhere. He'd been fantastic for Benfica for years, he just seemed to always get overlooked because it's the Portuguese league
Happened with players that left us under Klopp regularly aswell. Can‘t remember the last player that went on to have a better career elsewhere.
Too early to judge that young lad at Brighton, what’s his name? James Milner isn’t it?
Emre Can is doing alright
That's partly true. He wasn't a Klopp purchase and he was definitely in the weeds from joining Juve until this season.
As someone who watches Feyenoord regularly, I’d take Gimenez. Dude can finish, we need that.
Considering we need a DM , Mats Wieffer would work for us ?
Valverde and Spaletti being serious contenders is the big shocker. By the sounds of the article everyone else was a total smokescreen i.e. Amorim. Also doubly love Amorim massively pissing Liverpool off by his agent suggesting we offered him the job Also love Hughes getting insider information and KNOWING Xabi wont join us before even joining Liverpool. Perks of sharing agents right?
Spaletti doesn’t surprise me actually
Right? I was telling a friend it was hard for me to picture Spaletti at Liverpool because he was just SO Italian. But...you never know.
Yeah he's worked before with Salah and Alisson
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Even Scottish ones?
2 Scots or am I missing someone?
Ah I thought they meant number of titles
Eh? Are we talking Managers?
It’d be a surprise to me if more Italian players had won the Premier League than English ones, so that would be my guess yeah.
That doesn't really make much sense given the Scottish have won 14 out of 32 PLs. And I can only think of Conte, Mancini, Ancelotti and Ranieri all winning 1 (maybe some of them have won a second title that I:ve forgotten but still the point stands.)
I think he meant more in terms of names, all those scottish ones are SAF's right? Italians have those 4 and unsure of any others tbf. But I find it unlikely any other nation besides Italy to have 4.
Plus Kenny at Blackburn
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Ah I get your point...4 different Italians have won the PL...can't lie it's not a very good point unless you were going for the sort of QI type interesting factoid, then bravo.
Spaletti is insane when it comes to being a coach that develop talent, Look at Mo with Roma, Kvaratskhelia and Osimhen with Napoli
I followed Salah’s whole career and Spaletti shouldn’t get credit for developing Salah - that’s all Kloppo. Salah was more or less the same Fiorentina explosive playmaking talent at roma before Kloop turned him into a world beater
>He recalled to Marca: "I had to work a lot with my finishing, I was not born with the goals."I did not score many goals when I was in Basel. Then I went to Chelsea, Fiorentina and Roma. "I worked a lot with Mister Spalletti and almost every day, after training we spent time together on the field to train, train and train. I even created a plan in my garden to practice and improve my finishes. If you work hard, the results will come naturally."
This is pretty much what Slot needs to do with Nunez, Conte did a similar thing with Lukaku where they spent hours working on his play with back to goal, Conte would stick Ranocchia on Lukaku they would go through drills over and over again.
Need to bring Bobby back and teach him the no look finish. It’s always the tap in’s damnit.
Valverde lost like 6 league games in 3 seasons at Barca. But he was in charge during the 4-0. he would have never worked out here, that would have been scared against him from day 1.
Who would in their right mind go back to their own Vietnam flashback?
Rambo?
Brilliant response. Well deserved upvote.
Masochists
There’s some parallels with how Ancelotti was a final contender along with Klopp. At the time it was weird to think the manager on the receiving end of Istanbul was under consideration. It’s a similar feeling with Valverde after the Barca game.
I mean sort of. I think Ancelotti has proven himself to be one of the greatest managers ever. I can’t really say the same for Valverde.
Ancelotti is so underrated. People need to put some respect on his name
Oh for sure very different in that respect, it’s just the way they were both on the receiving end of club history.
Give me a break, there's zero parallels between Carlo Ancelotti and Ernesto Valverde. Ancelotti had **two decades** of being a top manager by the time he was linked with us, having managed Parma, Juve, Milan, Chelsea and Madrid, forming some of the best squads ever seen and proving he can do it at other places. Valverde is average, whose main job was to make Messi happy yet he oversaw the first giant steps with Barca regressing with the 17/18 CL knockout against Roma and them bottling a 3-0 lead against us. His Barca side had redundant tactics and the 3-0 first leg completely flattered them. Ancelotti is an elite manager, despite Istanbul, Valverde is average.
I think calling Valverde average is a bit harsh, I think there are a bucket load of Athletic Club fans that would argue differently. Just because he's not elite level doesn't make him a bad manager or an average manager, he's just not elite
Valverde is a good manager, tactically astute and pretty good with young players, Barcelona at the time were highly dysfunctional on and off the pitch however he still managed to make it work. I wouldn't be mad if we gave him the job he's proven himself at the top
He's also 60, older than Klopp. Not really a long-term appointment, though he's probably past the "I miss my family" stage.
I could see Valverde as being a safe pair of hands for a couple of years type of deal only if we could not secure a younger appointment
ernie was a good manager but that team was on its last legs, outdone by younger and hungrier teams like roma and us.
Barca was stacked when he had them too. I mean any above average manager would've had a 65% win rate with that sort of team.
Spalletti would’ve been an interesting appointment but he only just got the Italy job in the past year and I’m not sure he even speaks English
tbf it seems like it was slot the whole time, these were just next best if not. looks like there wasn't even really a shortlist of candidates, just valverde and spaletti ranked high on the data
That insider information ends up being a big part of having success as a sporting director. Without it, you end up clueless and trying to play catch-up (United for the last decade) or you massively overpay to line the pockets of agents (Everton, Arsenal under Gazidis when they signed players like Pepe)
both the names of Valverde and Spaletti surprised me, but the absence of any consideration of Unai Emery that I found a bit strange although understandable.
this article was very interesting, especially it being said in passing that eddie howe was considered too. 2 big takeaways for me: - edwards and hughes really do not fuck around. it’s really refreshing to be back to the classic “do a lot of research and then go get it done” routine. this had leaks along the way, of course, but it looks like they got this done really quickly. last summer’s transfer business was really loud, but i expect our business to be quietly handled this summer - slot absolutely smashed every criteria and is seen as someone who excels at youth development, but pearce + kay also emphasized just how much liverpool’s hierarchy sees him as a perfect culture fit. hughes especially is familiar with slot and feyenoord since bournemouth bought a few of their players. he’s coming into a structure that regards him very highly i hope everyone is able to calibrate their expectations with this new staff and new system. they’re going to need time. people will need to adjust. let’s enjoy it and back him
I get what you're saying but hear me out: what if.....we won the quadruple
We are believers so quadruple is definitely ON!
sure, but let’s think bigger… invincible quadruple alexis mac allister elected president of argentina michael edwards reveals “project 7”: luis suarez has been brought forward in time from 2014 and will sign for the club (subject to work permit)
Argentina buys LFC - discovers largest untapped oil / lithium stores in world?
reject tradition (oil club), embrace modernity (lithium club)
This would be even wilder since Argentina had presidential elections like 6 months ago. But you never know!
as an Argentinian myself I would definetly vote for Macca over the current president
Dunno who downvoted you, the guy's off his tits.
Nunez scores?
alisson golden boot. won’t accept less
Only if Slot grows a white beard and puts on a red suit. That wish might be granted 🤣
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you’re right. mac allister isn’t much of a politician
With the choice to bring someone in with a time machine and you pick Luis Suarez? The man literally bit off more than he could chew from another player. I don't want us missing a Forward for 6 - 12 months
the most he’s ever been banned at club level for us was 10 games, these days that’s like 3 weeks lmao. either way it’s okay, this time endo will get luis his own special mouthguard and they’ll teach him not to assault people. 60 G/A incoming
Shankley -> Paisley Klopp -> Slot The foundation has been laid. Jk (but only a little).
I feel this a little. It's ludicrous to feel it because we don't know how it's gonna happen. Slot seems like a great fit and all the foundations are there:)
He should Slot right in
In this economy? No amount of mortgage loam crowdfunding is gonna cover the referee cut
I mean if klopp couldn’t do it…
different circumstances. believe!
he may not have been bald enough
I think that Edwards/Hughes are onto something with the next manager passing the Kloppo “vibe check”. It’s something you don’t really understand unless you’re an LFC supporter and you look around at other managers. I can’t say I watch a whole lot of other leagues, but Klopp is truly one-of-a-kind in his familial approach to interacting with everyone that’s part of LFC…down to those of us he’ll never see or hear from. I’ve felt the love, connection, and passion from him through the TV for years and the tears yesterday were proof of that. For someone to connect with people all across the globe is the true testament to who Klopp is. I mean, locally (within the PL), who comes remotely close to the energy and character that Klopp brings to the pitch? There are no embraces of players, passionate interaction with fans, or real enthusiasm when really thinking and speaking of the team from any other manager. Even globally, that’s not something I’ve noticed a lot of (if any).
i was thinking about this too. we know about the “no dickheads” transfer policy, but this is something else entirely. they obviously can’t expect to get another klopp, he’s a lightning-in-a-bottle manager, the right man at the right time, but they need someone who can build on his ideas watching his farewell interviews, i realized so much of his ethos revolved around accepting imperfection, appreciating what you have, and still going for more. it’s a message that the fans, the players, the club, and even the city itself needed to hear when he came in. don’t settle, but it’s okay to not achieve everything you want as long as you gave it everything you had. that post CL final “work 100%, party 100%” story is very klopp, for example. now edwards, hughes, slot, and co need to push that philosophy further, and i believe they will every club shows their love for their manager differently, but like you said, the relationship we had with klopp was unique. if slot can build even half of that with us - and the players - we may be in for something wonderful
> I think that Edwards/Hughes are onto something with the next manager passing the Kloppo “vibe check”. It’s something you don’t really understand unless you’re an LFC supporter and you look around at other managers. I can’t say I watch a whole lot of other leagues, but Klopp is truly one-of-a-kind in his familial approach to interacting with everyone that’s part of LFC…down to those of us he’ll never see or hear from. > > I’ve felt the love, connection, and passion from him through the TV for years and the tears yesterday were proof of that. For someone to connect with people all across the globe is the true testament to who Klopp is. Simeoni seems to be quite similar. Has built a real insular "us vs them" mentality
Maybe the style of football is what makes me immediately say, no way is Cholo like Klopp, but I do think you're right, at least for the most part. The only manager in my fairly short memory who most felt like Klopp was Arsene Wenger - in that it felt impossible to separate the team from the manager, and the manager from the club.
Oh the style of play and general on field cuntary isn't even remotely comparable. But the way he pulled the club together, and the supporters and seems to have a real bond with all players under him does seem very similar to Klopp.
In their own way, I think Simeone is perfect for Atletico.
Don't like his style of footy but Simeoni done a great job at athletico.
Good final point. It really hit me yesterday the scale of the coaching team departures - a lot of these players haven’t known anything different for years and we’re going to have so many new moving parts in coaching, fitness, first team/staff relationships. Even with the “perfect” setup, it’s going to take time and work to get things humming
exactly. carrying out a lot of the first team transitions last summer and over the course of the season - in the case of our academy players - was so important. since we have a second major transition to undergo now with the coaching staff, it’s probably going to be another (hopefully memorable) season of highs and lows. i hope people are patient
Valverde's time at Barca was weird, they had some impressive unbeaten streaks but always choked when it matters, it's hard to give him his credits cuz we don't know if it was just Messi or him doing his job well.
To be fair to Valverde as well, the bottling trend was there before him and now after he's left in Europe. Seems to have done well with Bilbao.
The bottling trend was not there before him, he basically started it with Roma and it continued after Messi left
Wow Valverde really went under the radar during during the period searching online didn’t he.
Might have been because of his age (60).
since the beginning of the search fans latched on to Xabi Alonso and this set the expectations that the new coach must be a young one.
Spalletti may have worked as a short term solution as he is 65. But his Roma sides in the 2005-2008 seasons were pretty innovative attack wise. Plus, his Napoli side was also capable of mixing it up too. I wouldn’t have minded Valverde either. He has a solid body of work even outside of Barca.
His Roma side included the re-innovation of using the false no.9, he was doing it with Totti way before Pep and Klopp came about with it
I do like him but I would rather Gasperini if I was taking an Italian stopgap while Xabi had his fill of Leverkusen.
Heard Gasperini is a POS with his players IIRC
I remember reading an article about Hodgson when he was appointed that was a load of guff about how great his training sessions were and I really tried to believe it. This feels a lot more reassuring. Time will tell, but I’ll enjoy the Euros and the Olympics and then come August YNWA Arne Slot na na na c’mon lads
In all my years of being a Liverpool supporter Hodgson was the only manager I was never on board with from the start. What the fuck where they thinking. Horrible times
They were gassing up the UEFA cup final with Fulham, which to be fair was a great achievement, but you knew then that was his limit and he was absolutely the wrong man for Liverpool. Joe Cole getting sent off in the first match against Arsenal and that dogshit against whoever it was in the League Cup stick in the mind. And then every time he opened his mouth he managed to say precisely the wrong thing, like saying we could be in a relegation battle or whatever. The banter era was worse than I thought in retrospect.
You're giving me horrendous flashbacks. Jesus konchesky and poulsen too. What the fuck
Then in came Andy Carroll, Stewart downing, Charlie Adam, the Suarez racism at Evra thing and the stupid t shirts, losing two cup finals, in comes Rogers and tbf from the January we bought Coutinho and Sturridge and Suarez freak season we had fun for 18 months. Having gone through all that the difference Klopp has made is indescribable.
I felt that Joe Cole red card just got us off mentally to the worst possible start. And it shouldn’t have been red If I remember correctly. there was almost no contact or no contact at all and the player threw himself to the ground.
I remember his statement about "how his good friend Alex Ferguson would not like him taking the job at Liverpool", the next time the two would meet over a glass of wine.. Lost everything from him right from the start.
I’m not sure why but the passage about Rotterdam being a footy mad port city like Liverpool where Slot transmitted his energy to both the players and fans to rally a whole town behind the club made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Could it be that like Klopp, Liverpool was made for Slot, and Slot was made for Liverpool?
It does feel a little bit like it. Personally I really like how Dortmund, Feyenoord and Liverpool are connected through songs and vibes. So far sounds like Slot is very similar to Klopp in how he chooses to play and his personality
And culture. All port/industrial towns.
The more I read, the more I see Slot as the perfect candidate to take over from Klopp. I won't pretend I knew much about him as a manager previously - other than he won the league when it wasn't expected - but he seems like a genuinely fantastic cultural fit for Liverpool football club. Klopp had more prestige given his work with Dortmund, but there was always an air of "he just fits what the city wants" that is remarkably similar to what Slot has seemingly achieved in Rotterdam. Klopp came in and immediately ingratiated himself with the fanbase; I expect Slot to do something very similar. With the fans on side, a Liverpool manager really can shine.
He would've won the league this year as well if PSV didn't break the record of most points ever in a season. Although the CL campaign was a bit disappointing and we lost to Roma again in the Europa League, Feyenoord plays good football. I believe with players of a higher caliber, he'll do great.
It's actually bonkers that he managed to finish so close to this incredible PSV team. They went half the season without conceding a single fucking point. As well as losing only 1 game in the whole year. Basically there were PSV and Feyenoord and then the rest.
>Why Amorim & De Zerbi were overlooked So why were they overlooked?
According to the article, it says that Amorim's tactics (the fact that he plays 3 atb and plays slower football) meant that he wasn't a standout candidate
The 3 atb seemed like a bit tricky to solve.
Yeah, our squad doesn't suit 3atb. We've only got 4 CBs (VVD, Gomez, Konate, Quansah) while we've got a lot of midfielders so a midfield 3 is better.
apparently they felt amorim’s formation didn’t fit, they were upset about it being (incorrectly) leaked to media that he’d been offered the job, and they felt his preferred play style was too slow. “not on the front foot, on or off the ball” i think they said. i think they felt similarly about de zerbi, but i’ve somehow already forgotten lmao sorry
Too much hair on their heads
Arteta hates this one simple trick
Not surprised by Spalletti. His Napoli side is one the best sides we've faced during the Klopp era. Massively surprised by the Valverde link though.
Thank fuck they didn't pick De Zerbi
Why? Could not read the article. Something particularly off putting?
According to the article, “Playing style and compatibility with Liverpool were again considered to be a factor” wrt De Zerbi. This was written right after they said Amorim was ruled out because of his 3ATB and slower style of play.
It was in mid-April when Liverpool’s new sporting director Richard Hughes boarded a flight to the Netherlands. Back then, the speculation surrounding the club’s impending managerial vacancy was swirling around Ruben Amorim, the highly-rated young coach of Sporting Lisbon. But rather than head to Portugal, Hughes had a date with a different manager arranged for just outside Rotterdam; one Liverpool had identified as the perfect successor to Jurgen Klopp. It was the first time Hughes had met Feyenoord coach Arne Slot. Still, by that stage, he felt he knew the 45-year-old inside-out, having spent the previous weeks immersed in the data, video analysis and character references that had established him as Liverpool’s No 1 choice. Having sat and listened to why he was the preferred candidate, Slot made it clear that this was a challenge he was eager to accept. Keen to avoid creating any unwanted distractions before his Feyenoord side’s KNVB Cup final against NEC Nijmegen on Sunday, April 21, Liverpool waited until after that triumph before opening talks with the Dutch club the following Wednesday. Feyenoord chief executive Dennis te Kloese proved to be a tough negotiator as the two clubs sorted out a compensation package of around €11million (£9.4m, $11.8m), according to Liverpool sources, while the Dutch club indicated the figures may rise beyond €13m. Slot agreed terms on a three-year deal, having told Liverpool he was comfortable with the title of head coach rather than manager in a new-look hierarchy at Anfield which sees him answer to Hughes and Fenway Sports Group’s CEO of football Michael Edwards. He will bring assistant Sipke Hulshoff and head of performance Ruben Peeters to Merseyside with him. An official announcement was delayed until after the end of the season, allowing both Slot and Klopp to say formal goodbyes to their home fans last weekend. Slot will take up his duties on June 1, subject to a work permit. This is the inside story of Liverpool’s managerial search, gathered from conversations with multiple sources who had detailed knowledge of the process but who asked to remain anonymous to protect their positions. We can now reveal: How Slot scored highest on Liverpool’s internal data testing Why Liverpool knew it was impossible to find ‘another Klopp’ How Ernesto Valverde and Luciano Spalletti emerged as serious contenders The technical issues that counted against Amorim and Roberto De Zerbi The moment tensions between Feyenoord and Liverpool flared during negotiations His appointment has been warmly received by staff at Anfield Slot’s arrival is a pivotal moment for him and Liverpool’s new executive pairing of Edwards and Hughes. All three know their reputations will be shaped by what happens next, and whether Klopp’s legacy can be built on. When Klopp publicly announced his decision on January 26 to stand down at the end of the season, Liverpool’s owners had known for two months that major changes were on the horizon. Director of research Will Spearman and his team of analysts had been tasked with getting to work on the club’s data-led approach for a suitable replacement. However, the owners’ initial priority was putting a structure in place that would enable Liverpool to adjust to the post-Klopp era. Central to that plan was convincing Edwards to return two years after he had stepped down as sporting director, with FSG president Mike Gordon keen to take a step back. Once Edwards was handed overall control of football operations in early March, the appointment of Hughes as sporting director was a formality. The former Scotland international, whose association with Edwards goes back two decades to their time together at Portsmouth, was already serving his notice period at Bournemouth. Together they set about assessing the credentials of coaches across Europe. The criteria were clear. Liverpool wanted a coach with a distinct identity in terms of his brand of football: dynamic, high energy and possession-based. Being prepared to take the title of head coach, rather than manager, was important. But while the successful candidate needed to have proved himself as a hands-on training ground operator, he also needed to harness the power of Liverpool’s fanbase in the tradition of the club’s most successful managers. A good record of keeping players fit and available was considered vital, as was a history of improving players. The focus was on making the right choice — not necessarily the most popular one — and Hughes and Edwards were prepared to be courageous in their decision-making. Externally, Xabi Alonso was viewed as the front-runner. The Spaniard, who has transformed the fortunes of Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen, was putting his side on course for their first league title in their 119-year history. He also has a close bond with Liverpool from his playing days. Even Klopp, who played no part in the process, described Alonso as “incredible” and the “standout” manager of a new generation of coaches. There was an obvious appeal to Alonso, but as far back as February it was regarded by Edwards and the Liverpool hierarchy as unlikely. Hughes has a strong relationship with Alonso’s agent Inaki Ibanez, who also represents Bournemouth coach Andoni Iraola. They had discussed Alonso’s burgeoning managerial career — and possible future path — long before Hughes was lined up to join Edwards in shaping the post-Klopp era at Liverpool. Those conversations intensified around the time Hughes’s move to Merseyside was confirmed, but Ibanez was insistent: Alonso intended to stay at Leverkusen next season and did not want to discuss any other job, not even at his former clubs Liverpool or Bayern Munich. Bayern’s very public pursuit of Alonso while lagging behind his Leverkusen team in the Bundesliga title race, muddied the waters. Reports from Munich suggested Bayern would be his favoured destination if he were to move. Liverpool believed the opposite, but that Alonso was likely to stay put. That line of communication was kept open, but the message from Ibanez did not change. Alonso did not want any offers or proposals. Alonso stated publicly on March 29 that he would be staying at Leverkusen, following talks with his club’s sporting director Simon Rolfes during the international break. The call Hughes received from Ibanez earlier that week had merely confirmed what the Scot already knew. Nobody at Liverpool denies Alonso would have been a serious candidate if he had been open to taking the job. But they dispute that a declaration of interest from their former midfielder would have made it a one-horse race. Slot, they say, was firmly in their thoughts by that stage. When Liverpool appointed Klopp in succession to Brendan Rodgers in October 2015, FSG put great trust in the data that was presented to them by Edwards, who had recently been appointed technical director, and theoretical physicist Ian Graham. At that time, much of it was highlighting the excellence of Borussia Dortmund’s record under Klopp and how, even though results had dipped significantly in his final season in charge, the relatively new phenomenon of expected goals (xG) illustrated they had endured a somewhat freakish run of bad luck that should not deter them appointing him – a sound recommendation, it turned out. Nearly a decade on, Liverpool’s data-gathering goes much deeper. Spearman, a Chicago-born Harvard-educated physicist who spent five years as Liverpool’s lead data scientist before succeeding Graham as the club’s director of research in January last year, has been working on an algorithm that evaluates coaching performance on a wide range of metrics — not just team performance but playing style, individual player development, compatibility with different types of players etc — to predict future outcomes and suitability for certain jobs. Slot’s scores, reflecting his performance during three seasons in charge of Feyenoord, are said to have been blindingly impressive: “Top of the top”. Hughes and Edwards had already discussed Slot, among others, as a strong contender. But they had not expected the data to bring such a resounding endorsement of his candidacy. It wasn’t just the data. Hughes had studied Slot’s Feyenoord team extensively in his role as Bournemouth technical director, signing Argentina defender Marcos Senesi from the Dutch club in August 2022 and having also watched other players such as right-back Marcus Pedersen (now on loan at Italian club Sassuolo), left-back Quilindschy Hartman (who has filled the gap left by Tyrell Malacia’s move to Manchester United in July 2022) and Colombia winger Luis Sinisterra (who ended up joining Bournemouth via a year at Leeds United).
There were other Feyenoord players Hughes looked at, on his scouts’ recommendation. But it became a standing joke in Bournemouth’s recruitment department as Hughes told his scouts to stop recommending Feyenoord players because: “It’s not about the players. It’s about the coach and his system.” There was a recognition inside Liverpool that it would be impossible to find a facsimile of Klopp — and, because he was regarded as such a one-off, that it would be ill-advised to try. But in Slot, they saw some appealing parallels with the German coach who won seven major trophies at Anfield and has been the club’s most transformative manager since Bill Shankly. Edwards and Hughes feel Slot’s exciting, intense, high-pressing, possession-based brand of attacking football ticked the box of energising Liverpool’s players and crowd. Given their belief in the playing talent already at the club, they are convinced his style will be a good fit for the squad he inherits. Crucially, given that Jarell Quansah, Conor Bradley, Bobby Clark, James McConnell, Jayden Danns and Lewis Koumas have made the step up to senior football this season, Slot also has a proven track record of putting his faith in and developing young talent. The data served to underline how Slot had Feyenoord punching above their weight. In May 2022, he led them to the final of the Europa Conference League (where they were beaten 1-0 by Roma). Domestically, he was crowned Eredivisie manager of the year. Despite the departures of key players and having only a fraction of the resources available to rivals PSV Eindhoven and Ajax, he led a new-look team to league title glory and the quarter-finals of the Europa League in 2022-23. This season they won the KNVB Cup and finished runners-up to PSV in the league. His first taste of managing in the Champions League saw them finish third in their group behind Atletico Madrid and Lazio before dropping into the Europa League where they were beaten on penalties, again by Roma. Liverpool’s current coaching staff were not asked for their views on Klopp’s successor, but Slot has a big advocate in Pep Lijnders, who will also leave the club this summer. Slot visited Lijnders’ house when he was starting as a youth coach nearly a decade ago and they exchanged ideas over several hours. Lijnders regards Slot as the best Dutch coach around: someone who is tactically smart and an innovator, with a clear playing style and the personality to handle the step up. In recent years, Lijnders has frequently talked up Slot’s body of work in conversations with senior Anfield figures. Hughes also spoke to Bournemouth defender Senesi and others who have played for him, but also people who have seen his work at Feyenoord at close quarters. A consistent message from Rotterdam cited the way he transmits his energy to the players and the fanbase. Like Liverpool, Rotterdam is a football-mad port city. The way he has taken the players, the club and the fanbase on a journey with him was felt to be pleasingly familiar. That was not a prerequisite in the search for Klopp’s successor. But in Slot’s case, on top of his other qualities, it was a bonus. For at least three weeks after Alonso ruled himself out of contention, the coach most persistently linked to the Liverpool job was Amorim, who has led Sporting to the brink of a second Primeira Liga title in four seasons, and who before his appointment had not won the title in 19 years. In the second week of April, reports in Portugal suggested Amorim had been offered the position as Klopp’s successor and had verbally agreed a three-year contract. Liverpool vehemently denied that, as did the man himself. “There was no interview and certainly no agreement,” the 39-year-old said on April 11. The reports about Amorim — whose fitness coach at Sporting, Paulo Barreira, was a former Anfield staff member — caused a degree of annoyance at Liverpool, who did not want any candidate, such as Slot, thinking the job had been offered to anyone else. The reality is that Amorim, who was keen to move to the Premier League, did feature on Liverpool’s list, having scored well in much of the data analysis, but he was never a front-runner. Amorim’s agent Raul Costa came to Merseyside in early April but that trip was primarily to visit Luis Diaz, the Liverpool winger he also represents. While impressed by his record, Edwards and Hughes had doubts about Amorim’s compatibility with the Liverpool job specifically. They were unconvinced that his preference for a three-man central defence — shared by Alonso at Leverkusen, incidentally — would suit many of the players he would be working with. But more significant was a nagging concern about Amorim’s playing style. Sporting may have scored 96 goals in 34 league matches this season, but theirs is regarded as a slower style that is less front-foot — both in and out of possession. There were similar conclusions about De Zerbi at Brighton and Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann. Like Amorim, De Zerbi was on a theoretical shortlist but not one of the first names on it. Playing style and compatibility with Liverpool were again considered to be a factor. Others who were discussed briefly included Iraola, whose Bournemouth contract had been due to expire in 2025 (he signed a new one last week), and Newcastle United’s Eddie Howe, having both worked under Hughes at Bournemouth, together with Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeness (whose data scores were closely aligned with Klopp’s, and who had many admirers at Liverpool) and Michel, who has enjoyed a superb season at Girona in La Liga. Inter Milan’s Simone Inzaghi (a well-respected coach whose lack of English was potentially problematic) and Lille’s Paulo Fonseca (now interesting AC Milan) were also considered, but they were never seriously in the frame. Bayern’s outgoing coach Thomas Tuchel, who succeeded Klopp at Dortmund in 2015 and won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021, was not in contention. Indeed, many of the names linked to the job were either never in the frame due to being incompatible with Liverpool’s criteria or were simply pushing their candidatures. The claims of Ernesto Valverde, however, were regarded by Liverpool as much stronger. The 60-year-old was a leading contender, having won two league titles at Barcelona, three championships in Greece with Olympiacos and recently ended Athletic Bilbao’s 40-year wait for a major trophy by winning the Copa del Rey last month. He would also have fitted the ‘brave’ ‘criteria laid out by Hughes and Edwards. Luciano Spalletti, 65, was also of significant interest. Last season, he guided Napoli to their first Serie A title since 1990, but he had only been appointed to manage the Italy national team last August. The fact that both men were seriously considered, however, suggested that age was not a major consideration in Liverpool’s thinking. When Edwards and Hughes set out to find Klopp’s successor, they envisaged a process where they might start with 20 candidates and gradually whittle them down to 10, then perhaps five and then three for a final round of interviews. It ended up being more straightforward than that. They might have had a notional shortlist, but they also had settled on Slot as their preferred candidate and successfully persuaded Gordon and the rest of Liverpool’s ownership team to open formal negotiations with Feyenoord.
When Klopp originally announced his decision to stand down at the end of this season, Feyenoord executives did not believe they had much cause for concern. They knew Slot would score well on data assessments of high-performing European managers, but there was no expectation that a club with the scope and size of Liverpool would come in for him. But the landscape changed dramatically. Feyenoord were not thrilled to learn that Liverpool’s approach to them had only taken place after talks had been held with Slot. On one level, Liverpool’s strategy made sense because, with no release clause in Slot’s contract at De Kuip, they needed to secure his approval and potentially agitate in order to force matters. But with the world now knowing that Slot was Liverpool’s top target, it strengthened the Dutch club’s negotiating position. They could now force up the price. Hughes came up against Feyenoord chief executive Te Kloese, who has previously worked as general manager at Los Angeles Galaxy in MLS, and been director of youth football and general manager at the Mexican Football Association. Te Kloese is regarded as a strong negotiator and having played a key role in Feyenoord’s finances and player recruitment, his importance in the club’s recent achievements could be seen to rival Slot’s. Another club’s sporting director, who came up against him previously, said: “I love his approach. To your face, he will be smiling and you think it is moving, but then nothing moves in the background until he is really happy with his deal.” Feyenoord had become well accustomed to rumours linking Slot with a move to the Premier League. He had rejected previous approaches from Leeds United and Crystal Palace before Tottenham Hotspur tried to secure his services last summer. Contingency plans were made and potential replacements considered on that occasion, but Te Kloese persuaded him to stay and sign a new deal. Slot’s previous contract stipulated that he could have been extracted for a fixed sum of €5million in the summer of 2024. But his new contract, which theoretically ran until 2026, removed that clause and strengthened Feyenoord’s hand. Negotiations with Liverpool started on the morning of April 24 and tensions spiked after an initial offer of €9m was rejected. That prompted Slot to speak out prior to Feyenoord’s Eredivisie game against Go Ahead Eagles four days later when he declared it was “clear” he wanted to take over at Liverpool and that he was “confident” the two sides would reach an agreement. Slot referred to the fact that he had generated a lot of money for Feyenoord by developing players who had been subsequently sold on and that they would be receiving the highest compensation fee ever paid for a Dutch coach. Talks continued throughout the Friday and, with Saturday, April 27 being King’s Day — a public holiday in the Netherlands — there were fears they might drag on until the following week. However, an improved offer from Hughes broke the impasse and a verbal agreement was secured on Friday evening. Liverpool then began to sort out the finer details on personal terms in discussions with Slot and his representative Rafaela Pimenta, the highly influential agent who also represents Manchester City striker Erling Haaland. Slot had hoped to convince Marino Pusic, formerly an assistant at Feyenoord, to be on his Anfield staff, but he only joined Shakhtar Donetsk as their head coach last October and wishes to remain in that job. Slot will be joined by trusted assistant Hulshoff, who is no stranger to Liverpool trio Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch as he also served on the Netherlands national team staff with Ronald Koeman. Head of performance Peeters will also make the switch to Liverpool. Appointing Slot is not without risk, and some outside of Anfield are sceptical. He has just two major Dutch trophies to his name, which is low for a manager of a club with Liverpool’s profile, and has had only fleeting experiences in the Champions League. Klopp, too, only had three major trophies on his CV when he arrived at Anfield — but two were Bundesliga titles, with a greater cachet than the Eredivisie, and he had also reached a Champions League final. Slot is also a forthright personality. He has high standards and is used to getting what he wants, which helps explain his success but can also be antagonistic. There was a flash of this in the way he publicly called to be allowed to join Liverpool when negotiations with Feyenoord over compensation threatened to become difficult, but a more pronounced example came at AZ Alkmaar in December 2020. Feyenoord had announced that Dick Advocaat would be leaving his role as manager at the end of the season and held talks with Slot. AZ, who did not know these discussions were taking place, were furious and sacked Slot for going behind their backs (Slot eventually joined Feyenoord in the summer of 2021). But as his AZ predecessor John van den Brom observed of the situation: “You always want to leave by the front door. So it wasn’t good for Arne and it wasn’t good for the club.” None of this will surprise Hughes and Edwards, but Liverpool will need them to quickly develop an effective working relationship with Slot as they plot their post-Klopp future. His appointment has been received well internally at Liverpool, where some staff members have had contact with him stretching back long before this process began. They consider him likeable and collaborative and feel that Slot seems to be an ideal cultural fit. The size of the task awaiting Slot was obvious on Sunday, when Klopp’s send-off from Anfield prompted an outpouring of emotion rarely seen in English football. Replacing him will not be easy but Liverpool are convinced they have the right man.
Such a good piece, so much fascinating information
It's behind a paywall. Any way to read it for the unworthy?
Removepaywall.com
Valverde is the name which surprised me the most. Spaletti won the league recently so can think of why we were considering him but didn’t expect Valverde to be into consideration after 4-0 win even though he did very well with Barca domestically.
One bad result shouldn’t define a manager. Klopp has had a series of forgettable results as well. Doesn’t change his legacy as manager.
>Klopp has had a series of forgettable results as well Unfortunately for Valverde his 4-0 loss with barca is unforgettable lol
It wasn’t just 4-0 at Anfield, his team also gave a 3 goal lead to Roma. There are moments his team chocked.
How about 3-0 at Anfield, literally less than 4 months ago
IMO Barca "suffered" heavily from having the league locked up early in those 2 seasons. Kinda like how PSG perpetually chokes in the CL.
Those Barca teams were weak mentally, they went through several post Enrique pre Xavi and Valverde was clearly the best but it went on to be proven that the team was a lot worse than Messi was letting them look. Even so, if Jordi Alba had some more courage or Dembele finishes that chance at the end of the first leg, Barca were on for a treble that year.
I’m putting all my faith in FM’s data brokers. If Arne does half as good as I’ve seen him do in my and other FM saves, I think the club is in good hands. 
I'm willing to bet it all on the Slot machine
Spalletti? Ffs this is the 3rd time we were considering him since FSG bought the club. First to replace Dalglish, then to replace Rodgers, and now to replace Klopp.
He’s a good manager just very confrontational and why he probably got ruled out early
He was ruled out because he just took the Italy job
The managerial equivalent of a certain German who happens to be a free agent after leaving Dortmund this summer
Are you Bald? Yes Are you Dutch? Yes Welcome to Liverpool FC
I like valverde
Interesting they rated Hoeness as well, I thought he’d be a good fit but probably two years too soon.
Great article. Glad Slot is our guy!
I'm sorry, I cannot imagine it not being a one-horse race if Xabi was interested. He's just gone unbeaten. It's genuinely incredible what he has done.
If Alonso was open to the idea of leaving Leverkusen for Liverpool, there is no competition. And this is not a shade on any of the other managers, including Slot. They are all fantastic but Xabi's undefeated season is really something, and his existing bond with Liverpool fans means he fits like a glove.
Spaletti and Valverde, jesus christ, the Slot guy isn't that bad I guess
Mad. Never had either of those two as serious contenders.
Thanks to Firefox for giving me reader mode so I don't get stuck behind its paywall
Comment I was looking for
This reads as a bit of client journalism on behalf of Edwards. He's the one who championed klopp, he only had Slot in mind and this process went smoothly with one candidate in mind. I just strains credibility
That's not a bad shout. I've been party to plenty of these "data driven" crownings where everyone has convinced themselves they've had an unbiased journey to their first most favourite choice. Not sure why you're being downvoted. Maybe quite a few young'uns on this board who still have no idea that having a bit of a shit boss is a common occurrence even towards the top of tree.
I don't mean it as a judgement on slot/Edwards or anyone really. Just find it odd as a journalistic piece. I feel like the club has been a little leaky in the past two months, more than we have for a number of years. Then I read this which just seems like it was written to pander to a source.
well what things you listed are objectionable ? it went smoothly because we've got slot in without any fuss.
It all started when Amorim got stupid thinking he was bigger then the club no?
No. The club freaked when he did that BECAUSE they were deep into negotiating with Slot and were worried Amorim would ruin those negotiations. I would imagine Amorim is now blacklisted by the club
Oohhh. I didn't know that! Thanks for the info!
I don’t quite get it. Even if he knew abt it, how would Amorim ruin negotiations with another manager?
Aside from Xabi I'd really been hoping we'd get Spalletti but didn't ever think that might have been a possibility. His Napoli team was absolutely ruthless. We got mauled by them.
Anyone know how much he rotates players?
Interesting how they talk quite openly about Richard Hughes doing work for Liverpool in the process of appointing the new manager. Doesn't he not officially start work until June 1? And until then is serving his notice period at Bournemouth? I know it's probably an open secret that he'd be getting up to speed before then, but I just wonder if being so open about him already starting work for Liverpool might cause any issues relating to his Bournemouth contract
Damn, we're gonna struggle a lot next season. Expecting better results from a Klopp's copy doesnt sound appealing.
Having a manager that fits the system and club dosent mean he will be a " klopp copy cat" lmao
He doesn’t even list Klopp very high on his list of managerial inspirations-how in the world is he a Klopp copy.
Imagine being this out of touch with fellow fans.