Liverpool are next up against West Ham United in the Premier League with Jurgen Klopp facing some selection posers

Liverpool are next up against West Ham United in the Premier League with Jurgen Klopp facing some selection posers

With four games left of the season and little to play for after Liverpool lost at Everton on Wednesday, it is understandable that the focus for some has shifted to what comes next: Arne Slot. Now confirmed by the man himself, negotiations are underway to bring the Dutch coach to Anfield.

Jürgen Klopp might have pointed out that Champions League qualification is not mathematically secured yet for the Reds but it would take a remarkable collapse for that not to be sorted out. Liverpool is still eight points ahead of Spurs even if you imagine that Tottenham has already won its two games in hand.

That means that it is nearly confirmed that Liverpool will end Klopp's final season with one trophy — the Carabao Cup — and a top-four finish. It wouldn't be the German's most successful campaign but it certainly wouldn't be his worst either.

READ MORE: 'No secret' - Arne Slot confirms Liverpool negotiations and outlines what he wants to happen

READ MORE: Arne Slot has said all the right things to prove exactly why he's perfect next Liverpool manager

In all likelihood, the only thing that has stopped Liverpool from winning the title is injuries. Mid-season, the number of problems that arose was coped with at the time, but there has been a lag effect.

The likes of Joe Gomez and Wataru Endō have looked in recent weeks like they have been overplayed, while Mohamed Salah and Dominik Szoboszlai have been shadows of their former selves since making a return. Klopp's squad, collectively, looks shattered.

Ultimately, though, the only reason that it feels to Reds fans like the end of the world that the title push has been derailed is the circumstances rather than the manner. Liverpool has overachieved this season, in many respects, even if it might not feel like it just yet.

Last summer, Liverpool rebuilt its entire midfield. It had finished behind Manchester United and Newcastle in the Premier League standings and key figures in the dressing room — Roberto Firmino, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho — moved on.

Klopp viewed this season as a fresh start and labeled his new-look side as Liverpool 2.0. Were it not for the fact that the German is leaving in four games' time, what has unfolded would be heralded as being a big step forward.

As ever, there is context and nuance. Liverpool was in pole position for the Premier League title only a couple of weeks ago and it was in the Reds' hands. From there, it has collapsed. Even then, though, it would have taken perfection to stave off Manchester City and Arsenal. Just one draw could have been fatal.

Last summer, had you said to most people that Liverpool would end up coming so close to winning the league and would also pick up some silverware at Wembley, everyone would have taken that. Only now has that changed because of Klopp.

That is only natural, of course, and no one is wrong to feel that way. When something is so close, the desperation for it to have happened is understandable. But equally, the reality is that Liverpool has improved dramatically this season and should do so again next year even with the change of manager.

If it is Slot who takes over, as appears close to being the case, then the Dutchman will have a talented squad available to him with the experience of this season under their belt. With a couple of transfer additions, the team will improve further as well and it will be his task to build on the foundations left behind.

When the disappointment of how the Klopp era is set to come to an end is replaced by the excitement for the season and a new head coach, Liverpool will realize its current reality. Things are never as bad as they might seem; this season has actually been a lot better than most people anticipated, even if it might take a little longer to appreciate that amid the current hurt.

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Liverpool are edging closer to appointing a successor to Jurgen Klopp with Arne Slot the hot favourite, but FSG know the decision over the next manager carries a unique risk

Liverpool are edging closer to appointing a successor to Jurgen Klopp with Arne Slot the hot favourite, but FSG know the decision over the next manager carries a unique risk

Feyenoord head coach Arne Slot says it is “clear” he wants to take over at Liverpool and is “confident” the two sides can reach an agreement to facilitate such a move. The Athletic reported earlier this week that Liverpool had an opening offer of €9million (£7.7m, $9.6m) rejected by...

Arne Slot has confirmed that Liverpool and Feyenoord are in negotiations over a deal that could see him succeed Jurgen Klopp at Anfield in the summer. The Dutchman wants the move and has spoken out about it to confirm as much.

"It's no secret that I want to go to Liverpool," he has said, via Fabrizio Romano, ahead of Feyenoord taking on Go Ahead Eagles in the Eredivisie. "The clubs are negotiating and I am waiting to see what will come out of it. We have to wait until an agreement is reached, but I have every confidence in that."

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk gave his approval of the potential appointment after his side was beaten by Everton. "I find it hard to answer of course, but I think Arne Slot is perhaps one of the better Dutch coaches at this moment," Van Dijk told Viaplay at Goodison Park.

READ MORE: Liverpool defender admits to uncertainty over future amid search for Jürgen Klopp successor

READ MORE: Arne Slot has said all the right things to prove exactly why he's perfect next Liverpool manager

"I think the way of playing and the philosophy he has, that he could be a Liverpool coach. Only I think from what I read and hear is that it's still far from being completed. We shall see."

Liverpool has been impressed by Slot's work. He won the league title last year with Feyenoord and won the Dutch cup this season. He has a superb track record of developing players and making the most of his resources.

While PSV has overtaken Feyenoord in the Eredivisie standings this year and is set to confirm itself as league champion, Slot has undoubtedly got his side overperforming. If he does take over at Liverpool, he will become the 22nd man to be in full-time charge of the Reds and only the fourth from outside the UK.

Liverpool.com says: It certainly looks like it is going to happen. If Slot has been confident enough to talk about it like this then clearly there is something in it and it sounds like a deal might be close to being agreed. Given the public nature of the statement given by the 45-year-old, things might develop quickly.

Liverpool fans still have four matches left of the Klopp era to try and enjoy, despite the Premier League title being out of reach after the disappointing defeat to Everton. His final games are against West Ham United, Spurs, Aston Villa and Wolves.

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Liverpool have outlined Feyenoord boss Arne Slot as the successor to Jurgen Klopp with the German set to depart the Premier League club at the end of the season

Liverpool have outlined Feyenoord boss Arne Slot as the successor to Jurgen Klopp with the German set to depart the Premier League club at the end of the season

Feyenoord manager Arne Slot has publicly confirmed his intention to become the new Liverpool FC manager, speaking on Thursday night.

The 45-year-old Dutchman, who has become the firm favourite to take over Jurgen Klopp after talks this week, was speaking ahead of his side’s Eredivisie match against Go Ahead Eagles.

“It is no secret that I’d like to become new Liverpool manager, my decision is clear,” Slot told ESPN Netherlands.

“Feyenoord and Liverpool are in talks to negotiate, I’m waiting to see what will come out of it.

“I am waiting for the clubs to reach an agreement, I have every confidence in that [happening].”

"Geen geheim dat ik graag naar Liverpool wil" ?????????

— ESPN NL (@ESPNnl) April 25, 2024

Slot’s public words are quite surprising and certainly not common, but perhaps underline his confidence that an agreement will be made imminently.

Reports on Wednesday had suggested that Feyenoord had rejected Liverpool’s initial offer of compensation, said to be around £7.7 million.

But another report has since suggested that Slot could even be confirmed as the next Liverpool manager this week.

A fee €10 million (£8.6 million) is expected to be accepted by Feyenoord.

Who is Arne Slot?

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Arne Slot is the current manager of Feyenoord, and led the Dutch side to the Eredivisie title in 2023. Most recently, he led the Rotterdam club to the KNVB Cup (April 2024).

He predominantly plays a 4-2-3-1 formation, which is possession based and features high pressing.

He has spoken of his admiration for Pep Guardiola as a coach, previously saying: “Pep Guardiola gives me the ultimate joy in football.”

His charismatic personality is one that endears him to players, fans and media alike.

An attacking midfielder as a player, his career was spent entirely in the Netherland, with PEC Zwolle, NAC Breda and Sparta Rotterdam.

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Liverpool is advancing with a move to bring Arne Slot to the club to take over from Jürgen Klopp. The Reds have identified the 45-year-old Eredivisie winner as someone who ticks a lot of boxes in their search.

And Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has given his approval if the appointment takes place. "I find it hard to answer of course, but I think Arne Slot is perhaps one of the better Dutch coaches at this moment," Van Dijk told Viaplay following his side's 2-0 defeat at Goodison Park against Everton on Wednesday.

"I think the way of playing and the philosophy he has, that he could be a Liverpool coach. Only I think from what I read and hear is that it's still far from being completed. We shall see."

READ MORE: 'No secret' - Arne Slot confirms Liverpool negotiations and outlines what he wants to happen

READ MORE: Arne Slot has said all the right things to prove exactly why he's perfect next Liverpool manager

According to the Daily Mail, Liverpool could complete a move for Slot as early as this weekend with talks developing quickly. There is no release clause in the Feyenoord head coach's contract after he signed a new deal last summer amid interest in him from Tottenham and he is expected to cost more than $12.5m (£10.0m/€11.6m) .

Liverpool admires the work that Slot has done at Feyenoord, where he won the league last season and last weekend added the Dutch cup to his collection. Getting the best out of his resources and playing in a similar style to Klopp are also big ticks in the boxes of Slot, who has previously admitted that he wants to work in the Premier League.

Liverpool.com says: Slot appears to be a logical choice for Liverpool. The more you learn about him, the more you can see why he appeals to Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes.

There is only really the question about whether he can deal with the step up to managing Liverpool compared to being in the Netherlands but that is something that can only be discovered by giving him a go. That would have been the same with the step up for Xabi Alonso from Bayer Leverkusen or Rúben Amorim from Sporting CP.

By all accounts, he has a positive personality and those with knowledge of how he is at Feyenoord paint a picture of someone who has a very good relationship with the fans. That is an absolute must for the Reds for whoever takes over from Klopp.

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Luke Littler was on Merseyside for night 13 of the PDC Premier League Darts competition, but the avid Manchester United fan responded to fans' boos with a savage reminder

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Latest Liverpool news and gossip as reports emerge claiming that Brentford boss Thomas Frank was a potential candidate to be the next Liverpool manager

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With the news that Liverpool are on the verge of appointing Arne Slot as the club’s new manager, we spoke with Dutch football expert Arthur Renard to get the lowdown on the incoming boss.

Tell us about Slot’s style of play; we hear that he favours a 4-2-3-1 formation, is very possession based and quite a high pressing game. How similar is his style to Jurgen’s?

Yeah, there is definitely a similarity, I think especially in the the high pressing, there’s definitely a similarity with the current Liverpool [but] Jurgen may be is a little bit different. You could maybe say that that Jurgen is a bit more direct.

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Arne Slot likes to build and play a little bit more football through the whole pitch, whereas maybe Klopp you could argue, he’s maybe more direct.

What I like about Slot is that he likes to play his game and the pressing game wherever he plays and against anyone. So it doesn’t matter if he plays, let’s say Real Madrid away or whatever game, he plays his style. And that is something I think Liverpool fans will like a lot.

In your article for BBC Sport, you mention Pep Guardiola’s influence on Slot. Tell us about that.

He’s a big fan of Guardiola, so I would say his style even more towards Guardiola [than Klopp], although I guess with Guardiola and Klopp they’d both like their teams to have the ball to attack.

He’s a huge admirer of of Guardiola. He [Slot] said: “Pep Guardiola gives me the ultimate joy in football.

“There is no team in the world I would rather watch than Manchester City, followed by Napoli, Arsenal and Brighton.

“But City – and again it is not my intention to compare us with them – have a similar style of play to how we want to play with Feyenoord: 4-3-3, building up from the back, wanting to apply pressure quickly.”

It could be, those Liverpool-Man City games if he gets appointed, that could be really interesting!

We’ve heard a lot about how he develops players and gets the most out of them, signing some gems at Feyenoord?

The striker, Santiago Gimenez, he came also for not that much money (€6m) and he has proved, especially in the title-winning season last year, he proved such an important player.

Slot’s managed to get some really good players on the cheap – and that must be music to the ears of the Liverpool owners.

There’s been quite a few players in the last few years and they’ve developed pretty well. He also has some young talents. There is one, Quilindschy Hartman, who actually made his debut for the Dutch national team as well (recently). If he is fit, I wouldn’t be surprised if he will play at the Euros. He’s a bit like Trent, a local guy, a wingback kind of player.

He [Slot] definitely has an eye for young talent and also has the kind of guts to give them a chance in the team. That’s something Liverpool and definitely its owners will like.

What about Slot’s personality and interactions with players and media?

He seems to get on really well with his players. You don’t really hear players being unhappy. He seems to have a very straightforward and relaxed approach.

There’s a clip of of of him at a team talk away at Ajax after the game, he’s he’s not really too emotional but but just kind of like (how) he is.

You can see he connects with his players but he still keeps some kind of like calm kind approach.

What about the concerns, the Premier League is a big step from Dutch football – as we’ve seen with Erik Ten Hag!

I think it’s a good point – and in the end of the day you never know whether somebody will be a success or not.

Personally I think to succeed Jurgen Klopp is just very tough regardless who you are. Even Xabi Alonso, who seems to be at the moment the, the top of the top, probably would find it difficult.

In terms of comparisons with Ten Hag it’s difficult to compare. But the budgets [available at Ajax vs. Feyenoord] I think the last two years Feyenoord of has spent around maybe 30 million on players where Ajax had an outlay of around 200 million and [Feyenoord] finished both seasons above Ajax.

An interesting quote is from Marco van Basten, who was talking in a Dutch TV talk show, and he said he is just sure he [Slot] can do it at Liverpool.

He said ‘he can go to Bayern Munich, Liverpool, you name it, you know, and he will do well’. And he says ‘players at Liverpool are even better.’ So it’s easier for them to kind of translate his message on the pitch.

I think he can manage that, if Van Basten says that, that obviously tells you something.

Taking the job from Klopp probably says something about Slot’s character, backing himself?

That definitely tells you something [and] probably it’s also a thing of you don’t get the Liverpool job offered every day! So that’s also a factor.

I think that’s a good thing about him, he’s not thinking too much in in dilemmas, in, in difficulties, in obstacles.

It is obviously a massive challenge to succeed someone like Klopp but he’s really positive; a really positive kind of person. He doesn’t really think in obstacles, but more in kind of like chances. And it’s a huge chance for him to to do well.

What’s your overall feeling, should Liverpool fans be optimistic?

I think that they should be definitely optimistic.

I like to look at what he’s done so far. Because even before Feyenoord, he was the manager of AZ Alkmaar and he was doing really well; they were actually first or second in the league when the season got suspended because of corona – and in Holland, for him, unfortunately, the season was cancelled.

Maybe he could have won the league that year [2020].

If you can do it at different clubs; Liverpool fans should be really kind of, enthusiastic, because why would he not do that at Liverpool?

I think there’s a lot of reasons to be optimistic.

A massive thanks to Arthur for his insight. You can follow Arthur on X @arthurrenard87.

Read Arthur’s article on BBC Sport: Slot – the ‘control freak’ inspired by Guardiola.

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Latest Liverpool news and gossip as Jamie Carragher explains why he believes there hay have been a disagreement behind the scenes between Jurgen Klopp and Michael Edwards

Latest Liverpool news and gossip as Jamie Carragher explains why he believes there hay have been a disagreement behind the scenes between Jurgen Klopp and Michael Edwards

Arne Slot is the man Liverpool look keen to have as their successor to Jurgen Klopp. In an Essential Questions special, we look at how he fits in and why he's their man.

Slot has emerged as the clear favourite to succeed Klopp in the hot seat on Merseyside, when he steps back after nearly nine years in charge this summer.

The Dutchman has an impressive CV in his home country - but how well will that translate in England? Why is he similar - and why is he different - from Erik ten Hag? And what has put him top of Liverpool's always carefully planned recruitment list?

Sky Sports journalists Ron Walker and Adam Bate are joined by Sky Sports News senior reporter Melissa Reddy to answer all that - as well as the problems Liverpool have in the more immediate future following the Merseyside derby defeat at Everton on Wednesday.

Listen in full below and subscribe today to make sure you don’t miss an episode of the podcast.

Subscribe now on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify

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It is impossible to sugarcoat this one: Liverpool’s performance on Wednesday evening was terrible.

It might be a cliche, but team strength and tactics do often go out of the window in a Merseyside derby. Despite Liverpool fighting for the league title, a contest at Goodison Park, under the lights, against an Everton side battling to stay in the division… Jurgen Klopp’s side would have known that the game would be a scrappy, aggressive clash in a raucous atmosphere.

Did they put up enough of a fight? Their club captain didn’t think so.

Virgil van Dijk questioned the commitment and desire of his team-mates in an interview with Sky Sports after the game.

GO DEEPER

Van Dijk questions whether Liverpool 'really want to win the league'

“I’m very disappointed in so many ways and everyone has to look in the mirror, look at their performances, and if they really gave everything and do they really want to win the league,” Van Dijk said.

“We are still fighting and still have games after tonight, but if we play like we did today — not winning challenges and giving the referee an opportunity to give free kicks like he did many times — we have no chance to win the title. It’s a tough one and we have to do much better against a side fighting against relegation.”

Van Dijk repeated the lack of desire among his team-mates to win their individual battles.

“It sounds simple but it starts with the fight and the will to win your challenges and be confident in scoring a goal. That is what we have been lacking and it’s a combination of a lot of things.”

The natural question is, who was he referring to? And, crucially, is Van Dijk blameless himself?

Teams rarely win all of their individual battles, but it is worth combing through the numbers on Liverpool’s success rate on the night.

Klopp’s side are typically aerially dominant, with no side having a higher average win rate than their 57 per cent this season. Against Everton, that win rate dropped to just 44 per cent — their fifth-worst return in a Premier League game this season. To spell it out: Liverpool lost more battles than they won in the air.

On the ground, a ‘duel’ can often be a nebulous metric, but Opta simply defines it as a 50-50 contest between two players of opposing sides. The Athletic have previously shown that winning your duels corresponds to an increased likelihood of winning a game.

Wednesday’s duel win rate of 43 per cent was similarly below their average for the season (49 per cent), so maybe Van Dijk did have a point on both fronts.

GO DEEPER

To duel or not to duel: Does winning your battles win you more games?

It was not so much about the volume of duels won or lost, but the way they were competed. A salient example was the battle between Ibrahima Konate and Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

Calvert-Lewin targeted Konate for a lot of the game and could see that he had the beating of him from the second minute. Below are four examples of Everton’s No 9 bullying Konate in the first half alone. In the end, Konate resorted to fouling Calvert-Lewin and was eventually replaced by Jarell Quansah after 63 minutes.

This tactic should not have come as a surprise to Liverpool. Across the game, Everton went long with 30 per cent of their passes — their second-highest rate in the Premier League this season behind… their last game against Liverpool in October (32 per cent).

It might sound agricultural in the modern game, but momentum built with every aerial win that Everton registered. It gave oxygen to the home side and stripped it from Liverpool one duel at a time.

The momentum was building for Everton, but not without Liverpool’s help. If there is one rule of playing against a Sean Dyche side, it would be to not give away any silly free kicks anywhere in the first two-thirds of the pitch.

Everton have scored 7.5 goals per 100 set pieces this season — better than any other Premier League side. So “giving the referee an opportunity to give free kicks” (in Van Dijk’s words) should have been low down on the to-do list.

Instead, Liverpool gave away cheap fouls to allow Everton to exercise their biggest strength. When accounting for opponent touches this season, that volume of adjusted fouls was the fourth highest across their Premier League campaign.

As shown below, there were naive challenges from Alexis Mac Allister, Curtis Jones, Luis Diaz, and Wataru Endo — often when the opposing player was facing their own goal with little threat. Especially in the first half an hour, every foul sequentially instilled more confidence among the home side.

By contrast, there were times when Liverpool should have realised it was the right time to bring down their man. A 1-0 Everton could retreat from their own box and get a shot away without any Liverpool player sticking a foot in. From Konate being dragged out of position by Calvert-Lewin, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mac Allister allowed Abdoulaye Doucoure to waltz into the final third with little trouble.

So, is Van Dijk blameless in all this?

Despite him being Liverpool’s captain and best defender, there were a few things to pick out with his performance.

Van Dijk largely dealt well with Calvert-Lewin when the Everton striker ventured over to his side, but his passive defensive approach — which is so often a strength as Liverpool’s calming presence — often worked against him as Calvert-Lewin grew in confidence.

There were multiple occasions when Van Dijk elected to step off Calvert-Lewin in an aerial challenge, allowing him to bring the ball down as Everton moved up the pitch. He might not have lost an aerial battle in the examples below, but largely because he did not engage in them.

There was a comedy of errors from Liverpool for Everton’s opener, but it is worth going back to the first contact when the free kick was launched into the box.

A generous perspective would be that James Tarkowski blocked Van Dijk to allow Jarrad Branthwaite to win the first header, but a closer inspection suggests Van Dijk largely mistimed his header — with Dominik Szoboszlai doing little to stop Branthwaite at the back post.

The same was true of Everton’s second, in which Tarkowski joined Van Dijk at the far post, but he was hardly pinning the Liverpool centre-back to the floor. As you can see from the second slide below, Tarkowski was actually facing away from Van Dijk as Calvert-Lewin leapt up.

Poor timing from Van Dijk and weak defending from Alexander-Arnold places the fault more at Liverpool’s door.

In many ways, Van Dijk’s assessment of his team-mates was accurate, with few players ending the game with any credibility — but Liverpool’s captain is not immune from criticism himself.

Individual mistakes, a lack of urgency, and a lack of quality all over the pitch were thrown into the melting pot to leave Liverpool’s title chances all but over.

(Header photo: Michael Regan/Getty Images)

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