Arne Slot could revive the ‘Coutinho’ role as new era beckons at Liverpool

Arne Slot may revive the traditional number 10 role at Liverpool

Liverpool have selected Feyenoord manager Arne Slot as a worthy successor to Jurgen Klopp but he brings some tactical differences. As Liverpool fans are voicing their scepticism over the announcement of the next manager, many are excited as well.

However, a section of the social media fanbase with the compunction to speak their emotional mind before they research have voiced their displeasure. Pre-conceived notions and unreasonable criticism are part and parcel of modern-day football where everyone wants what is commercially successful.

However, the majority of the fans are always enthusiastic about the unknown and maintain their faith in Michael Edwards. Many journalists have dabbled in what prompted Edwards and Richard Hughes to suddenly push for Slot from Ruben Amorim.

Brief answer- He brings qualities parallel to our irreplaceable and beloved manager Klopp, and areas where he can make improvements. Slot earned the recognition and respect of his peers for his impeccable man-management skills and ability to convey his message.

The 45-year-old is concise, and honest and exudes positivity while understanding the ways to handle different personalities within the squad. He makes sure that the players play the kind of football he wants them to play, an attractive attacking philosophy.

Slot’s steep rise in reputation in his home nation speaks for itself and the reaction of the Feyenoord fanbase, management and players proves that. While they are happy that the Dutchman is joining a European giant, they are sad to see him go.

Slot achieved great success at Feyenoord under a restricted budget, developing players and still challenging for multiple trophies. Klopp installed a similar culture at Liverpool which has made him the heart of the club in past nine years.

Furthermore, Slot did the impossible at AZ Alkmaar as well when he guided them to challenge Ajax in the 2019-20 season. The coronavirus outbreak caused the suspension of the season when AZ shocked the Dutch league, being parallel to Ajax on points.

The potential return of number 10 at Liverpool under the new manager Arne Slot

The part where Slot is somewhat different to Klopp is his tactical strategies which could act as a needed change. Liverpool have enjoyed a 4-3-3 formation under Klopp where he played two inside forwards alongside a false nine. The German has made slight changes over the years but the fluidity in attack remained the same.

The 56-year-old stopped using a number 10 midfielder since the departure of Phil Coutinho which ushered the successful era. He barely used Xherdan Shaqiri as a number-10 while players like Harvey Elliott also featured as conventional eight or winger.

Slot uses the 4-2-3-1 formation in which a number 10 plays a crucial role and the midfield is a double-pivot. The wide players drop narrower in the attacking phases while the fullbacks delay their overlap runs to stretch the opponents.

The situation helps in outnumbering teams in their box even if they have deployed a low block, creating an advantage. Liverpool have struggled against the low-block teams under Klopp particularly when they concede the goal early.

The situation has been very repetitive this season and due to the wastefulness of the attackers, that situation caused a lot of damage lately. A conventional number 10 plays a critical role for Slot, exploiting spaces between the opposition’s midfield and defence.

The idea is to have four attackers in the narrow position during the final third to inflict the most damage. The tactics have helped Feyenoord to exploit teams regardless of whether they playing high block, mid-block or low block. Feyenoord lacks the quality in the squad that Liverpool already possesses and adding number 10 at Anfield would only make the squad more diverse.

Every big club has employed number 10s who have, at times, rallied their club single-handedly. Arsenal have Martin Odegaard while Manchester City thrive with Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva. The poorly managed Chelsea would be fighting the relegation battle if not for Cole Palmer saving them in numerous games.

Liverpool sorely lacked a Phil Coutinho and the midfield three where two midfielders drop wide have been inconsistent at times. While Klopp made those chances according to what he had and the fact that the forward trio of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah clicked so effortlessly, we like to believe that he would have changed the system more if he had stayed, given the players he has now.

More Liverpool news

• Revealed: Reason why Liverpool chose Arne Slot over Ruben Amorim
• Liverpool icon endorses move for ‘tactically strong’ Arne Slot; compares him to Pep and Mourinho
• Experienced ace who was first-choice under Jurgen Klopp set to leave Liverpool this summer

No one can be sure about an overseas manager until that manager arrives but Slot deserves the complete backing of the Liverpool fanbase. People who barely researched him compare the 45-year-old to Klopp and Pep Guardiola, despite his distinct tactical philosophies. If anything, his naysayers should watch highlights of Feyenoord in European competition while keeping in mind that the quality of the squad in that beautiful Dutch club, with all due respect to them, is far less than the teams he competed against.