Manchester United legend Gary Neville praises Liverpool head coach Arne Slot and accepts his misguided prediction earlier this season. Neville predicted Liverpool would struggle this season after legendary manager Jurgen Klopp departed the club, with Slot succeeding him.

However, Liverpool have enjoyed an incredible season under the Dutchman, who easily installed his new tactical approach at the club. Slot inherited a formidable squad from Klopp and used his tactical acumens to provide more tools to the senior team.

The shift from uber-direct tactics of Klopp to a more controlled approach under Slot made the Reds more efficient. Liverpool avoided the mistakes that they made during the latter stages of the last season, while many players improved further.

Slot enjoys the same philosophy that Klopp installed, which only helped the players get accustomed to the new boss. Liverpool have only lost three games this season, showcasing different approaches while balancing their risk and reward factor.

Speaking in the It’s Called Soccer podcast, Neville admitted that he made a poor prediction about Liverpool and Slot while praising the head coach. He said:

“Absolutely incredible, the transition from Jurgen Klopp, who’s one of the greatest managers the Premier League’s had, and I thought there would be a natural drop-off from Liverpool. I thought the players that have listened to that same inspirational voice for so many years and having someone else come in, that [Slot] wouldn’t be able to make it happen for them. But what he’s done from day one is bring composure. Obviously, he’s won games. I said it earlier on in the season, there was a game where I thought they played three or four different styles within a certain game. That’s what I like most about this Liverpool team, to be honest, because we’ve been conditioned for years to think you’ve got to have this principle and this philosophy of play and you must stick to it.”

Liverpool secured two convincing victories over Manchester City and Newcastle United in the Premier League to create a 13-point gap with Arsenal. The Gunners dropped five points in their last two games, releasing a lot of pressure for the Reds to operate.

Many pundits and football fans downplayed Liverpool as the top-four finishers, let alone the Premier League title contenders. However, the Reds have showcased a strong balance between their offence and defence despite signing one player for this season.

More Liverpool News:

• Liverpool captain taking one game at a time to avoid complacency
• Liverpool boss Slot praises Endo’s dedication on and off the pitch
• Arne Slot praised the ever-improving Liverpool midfield amid title race

Liverpool will face Paris Saint-Germain next in the Champions League round of 16 clash with the hope of progressing further in that tournament.