Liverpool icon Dirk Kuyt offered crucial insights on Feyenoord manager Arne Slot as the latter nears succession to Jurgen Klopp
Dirk Kuyt highlighted the qualities of Feyenoord manager Arne Slot, making him a worthy successor to Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. Slot is the firm favourite to take over the managerial role at Liverpool before the beginning of the next season.
In January, Klopp announced that he was stepping back from the managerial role after the end of the current season. The announcement proceeded with numerous rumours involving various top managerial candidates and the restructuring of Liverpool’s hierarchy by the owners, FSG.
Liverpool appointed Michael Edwards to take control of the football operations followed by the appointment of Richard Hughes. As a new sporting director, Hughes supervised the search for a new manager alongside Edwards with numerous candidates reviewed thoroughly.
Writing in a special column for The Athletic, Kuyt revealed the uniqueness of Slot that Liverpool fans would enjoy. He wrote:
“Tactically, he’s very strong. What people like most in Holland, where his reputation is so high, is that he has his own vision, his style of play. Nowadays managers always get compared. Is it the Jurgen Klopp style? Is it the Jose Mourinho style? Is it the Pep Guardiola style? The answer is that Slot has his own style. He doesn’t copy anyone. He knows exactly what he wants and he believes in it. It’s attractive, attacking football. He likes to play an aggressive defence, high intensity, with the game played in the opponent’s half, but it’s his way. It’s different from Klopp but a lot of the principles are the same.”
As a Feyenoord fan and beloved Liverpool icon, Kuyt serves as the most reliable source of information on Slot. Slot has achieved remarkable success during his tenure with the Dutch club, winning them the Eredivisie title last season.
He also won the KNVB Cup this season and ended as Europa Conference League runner-up in his first season in 2021-22. Before joining Feyenoord, the 45-year-old managed AZ Alkmaar where he managed to pull the surprise during the 2019-20 season.
AZ challenged Ajax for the Eredivisie title until the Coronavirus outbreak suspended the season and stopped their impressive run. The season’s suspension occurred with AZ in second place, tied on points with Ajax but trailing in goal difference.
Kuyt also praised the man management skills of Slot, highlighting the Dutchman’s knack for developing talents under a restricted budget. He added:
“What struck me about Arne was his ability to make the players believe in what he believes in. I talked to some of them when I was there and they all spoke so highly about him. They love how he organises the training sessions and how he gets his ideas across. He’s an excellent communicator and man manager.”
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Klopp created a culture that balanced the development of young players with the continuous challenge for major trophies. Despite the bitter taste of seeing their beloved manager leave the club, fans should be cautiously excited about what Kuyt has said about Slot.
