Why Arne Slot Cannot be Compared to Erik ten Hag
Introduction to Arne Slot
It has now been a good while (in football terms) since the name of Arne Slot dropped into the Merseyside minds of the Liverpool fanbase. For many of the devoted support, this was an unfamiliar name resembling neither Xabi Alonso nor Rúben Amorim, thereby creating a raised eyebrow. Based upon this surprise introduction, it was an announcement which was therefore treated with mild caution. Suspicion and confusion quickly mutated into research as the unknowing sports writers and football journalists scrambled to familiarise themselves with the man chosen to succeed the outgoing German, Jürgen Klopp. I had to take a good moment to understand better the qualities and track record of the current Feyenoord coach, who will be stepping into some considerable shoes in just a few weeks as he arrives to become the new head coach of Liverpool Football Club.
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Misplaced Comparisons with Erik ten Hag
During the wide-reaching dissection of the 45-year-old, many sceptical outsiders were quick to make lazy comparisons with Manchester United’s manager, Erik ten Hag, who has routinely struggled since he arrived at Old Trafford. His reign in the Premier League is up for debate as the new minority owners evaluate how to build a working structure at the famous club. I think comparisons are straightforward and based more on nationality than anything else. Yes, both men arrived from the Eredivisie, where the standard of football is clearly a step below the elite English top tier. Other than those two similarities, I find it dismissive and narrow-sighted to judge what Arne Slot will become based on the failings of the sitting Red Devils boss.
Operational Differences Between Liverpool and Manchester United
Since Erik ten Hag took over from Ole Gunnar Solskjær in 2022, there has been an uneven pathway without consistency in the clubs’ decisions. Please note that I labelled the 54-year-old United as the manager earlier in the piece. In contrast, it has become evident that the Liverpool CEO, Michael Edwards, has replaced his soon-to-be departed manager with a new head coach. In the case of the former, freedom was passed onto the former Ajax boss, which allowed him to sign who he wanted and for whatever obscene amount it took to acquire them. With no real Director of Football in place, recruitment became a case of a manager surrounding himself with players he knew, even though many did not improve the squad substantially. The haphazard signings that spent hundreds of millions of pounds have left the historic club with many assets not suited to such an ambitious group, with this upcoming summer seeing the levels of leadership adjusted to offer a design that veers towards long-lasting success rather than the short-sighted failures that have continued since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson.
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A New Vision for Liverpool
Regarding the former AZ Alkmaar manager, Arne Slot, he will be heading into an environment where an excellent squad is already assembled, with a recruitment and scouting department led by Michael Edwards. Following the appointment of Richard Hughes to the Sporting Director role, it is now a newly tiered system that can deliver what this squad needs instead of what the current coach may desire. The club’s long-term vision will be built around the sustainable development and recruitment of players in a system that can flourish under various managers in the future. There is absolutely no guarantee that the new head coach will thrive under the short-sighted hotbed of Anfield expectation, however, his focus can be targeted onto getting the squad ready for next season, as the world class transfer committee assembles the best players to help the club succeed.
Liverpool FC may not win the Premier League next season, though based on the coordinated effort of all the major components at the club, they will be far better prepared than their fiercest rivals, Manchester United, who are likely to suffer the same slow buildup that the Reds once suffered.
Steven Smith
