'No-one expected this' - how Slot took Liverpool to brink of title

'No-one expected this' - how Slot took Liverpool to brink of title "If you had asked Liverpool fans back in August would their team win the Premier League, most would have said no," says former Liverpool goalkeeper Sander Westerveld. Jurgen Klopp was always going to be the hardest of acts to follow as manager. Liverpool supporters were understandably worried about the future when the charismatic German, whose force of personality and success gave him iconic status, announced in January 2024 he was leaving at the end of that season. Who would undertake the seemingly impossible task of replacing Klopp? Would Liverpool tread water or even go backwards for a season or two while his successor settled into the job? "Klopp was a sort of god who changed the club - not just on the pitch but the whole atmosphere," says Westerveld. Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso, who had taken Bayer Leverkusen to the brink of a first Bundesliga title, was strongly linked with an Anfield return before announcing he was staying in Germany and that paved the way for Arne Slot's appointment. "At that moment I didn't even think about Arne," adds fellow Dutchman Westerveld, who has remained friends with Slot since their playing days together at Sparta Rotterdam in 2007-08. "Nobody in England knew an awful lot about him. Everybody who knows football said it was going to be a huge task and that this was an unknown coach who comes from the Netherlands." Yet the transition from Klopp to Slot has been seamless, culminating in Liverpool needing just one more point to win the championship for a record-equalling 20th time. With 24 wins in 33 games and just two defeats, Slot's Liverpool have made top spot their own after looking down on the rest of the Premier League since 2 November. And now, if they avoid defeat against Tottenham on Sunday, they will be champions of England - with four games to spare - for just the second time since 1989-90. Slot, who ruled himself out of the running to become the next Spurs boss while at Feyenoord in May 2023, would join an elite band of bosses in the Premier League era to have delivered the title in their first season in charge. Jose Mourinho (2004-05) and Carlo Ancelotti (2009-10) both managed it at Chelsea before Manuel Pellegrini (2013-14) accomplished the feat at Manchester City. The last boss to do so before Slot was Antonio Conte - also at Chelsea - in 2016-17. "Nobody expected this," adds Ian Doyle, chief Liverpool writer for the Liverpool Echo. "In terms of an achievement for a manager in his first season at Liverpool, it has to be right up there." Neil Atkinson, presenter and CEO of Liverpool fans' podcast and website The Anfield Wrap, adds: "I don't think anyone wanted the new manager to come in and try to be a Jurgen Klopp tribute act. "All Liverpool fans wanted was Slot to be himself - and that's what he has been." In many ways, Slot's main job has been to build on and improve the outstanding squad left behind by his predecessor, who averaged 80.33 points in his last three seasons at Anfield. Four more victories would see Liverpool break the 90-point barrier after Slot tightened the defence and brought more control to the midfield. "They've amassed these points by winning when it's hard, winning when it's ugly, winning when the opposition have put up a fight," adds Atkinson. "Liverpool have managed to do that - none of their rivals have." WhileFederico Chiesahas been the only addition to Slot's squad for this season, the Dutch coach has improved players, including Ryan Gravenberch, who has grasped his opportunity at the base of Liverpool's midfield after the club missed out on signingMartin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad. With 27 Premier League goals and 18 assists in 33 appearances - compared to 18 goals and 10 assists in 32 appearances in Klopp's final season, Mohamed Salah's figures under Slot have been seriously impressive. Gravenberch's Netherlands team-mate Cody Gakpo has also provided 16 goals in all competitions in 2024-25, matching his tally from last season. "In his first meeting with the players, Arne had all the data from the season they were champions in 2019-20 and all the data from the final season under Klopp," adds Westerveld. "Last season, compared to the title season, there were less sprints, the team was less effective. Instead of saying to the players, 'come on, work hard', he was telling them exactly what they had to do and needed to know showing them all the data." There have been tweaks off the field too, with Slot implementing a new routine to how his players build up to games. Under Klopp, the day would begin later but this season players have been at the training ground in Kirkby, about six and a half miles from Anfield, at 9.15am for breakfast. Slot and his backroom team have introduced a process known as 'body wake-up' which involves breathing exercises before both training and matches. Under Klopp, the Liverpool squad would stay together in a hotel before home games. That is no longer the case, with players allowed to remain at their own homes. Training sessions have been longer than before but less intense to reduce injury risk, with fitness issues undermining several campaigns in recent years. In addition, Slot has made key hires behind the scenes. Ruben Peeters, a specialist in periodisation (the science of optimising training loads), followed Slot from Feyenoord, Dr Jonathan Power was promoted to director of medicine and performance, while Amit Pannu joined as a new first-team doctor. Sander Westerveld (pictured right at Liverpool's training ground) is a friend and former team-mate of Arne Slot Liverpool fans had plenty of time to get used to Slot before his first Premier League game in charge. There were three months between the Reds announcing him as theirnew head coachand the match at Ipswich on 17 August. It helped that Klopp, after his final match in charge, urged supporters to sing with him: "Arne Slot, na na na na na" to the tune of Opus' Live Is Life before the German waved goodbye to Anfield - a chant that has become more and more popular at the ground as the season has gone on. "Before his first home game in front of 60,000 I asked Arne if he was nervous," says Westerveld, who won the FA Cup, League Cup and Uefa Cup at Liverpool in 2000-01 under Gerard Houllier. "He said, 'Oh well, you know, I was manager of Feyenoord and we had a stadium of 50,000 so I'm used to that'. "I said, 'No, Arnie. No... this is Anfield, this is different'. He was downplaying everything. "Then I thought about it afterwards and Liverpool is perfect for him. He's just a normal guy, down to earth, feet on the floor, very calm. For him everything is the same and he doesn't change. "He didn't get carried away when Liverpool won 11 of the first 12 games, and he didn't panic when they lost the League Cup final five days after going out of the Champions League." One banner that has become a regular feature in The Kop this season is 'Arne's Slot Machine', a nod towards his popularity with supporters young and old. He has befriendedIsaac Kearney, a Liverpool-obsessedseven-year-old, who was born with a rare condition known as Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, meaning he develops at a slower rate than other children his age. When the club heard about Isaac's story, they invited him, his mum and dad Melissa and Alan, and older sister Florence to the training ground to meet the players. They were told they might not see Slot as he was busy planning for a game. "Isaac was walking past the manager's office with Mo [Salah] and Virgil [van Dijk] and Isaac being Isaac shouted 'Arne' through the window at him," Melissa recalls. "Arne was in a meeting but came out to chat with Isaac. He was so genuine and down to earth. We sat down for lunch and Arne came over and was fist-bumping Isaac. "Arne asked if he was having a nice day and Isaac told him he was still waiting to see Trent [Alexander-Arnold]. Arne said, 'I'm going to take you to meet him right now'." Before Liverpool's home game with Southampton in March, Slot also name-checked Isaac in his pre-match news conference. Asked how he would cope with serving a touchline ban, the Reds boss said he would be sitting in the stand close to his friend Isaac. Slot spent time with Isaac Kearney (right), his mum Melissa, dad Alan and sister Florence after Liverpool invited the family to the training ground Slot comes across as likeable, approachable and intelligent in interviews, although there were occasions in his early days when he struggled to grasp the local dialect. Before Liverpool's Champions League game with Bologna in October, a local reporter asked if preparations for a big European game were any different to a domestic match. "That was a bit of Scouse," said Slot, struggling to understand the local accent before turning to Tony Barrett, director of first team communications, for help. "He's relaxed into the job," adds Doyle. "Anyone who has seen his press conferences, he doesn't mind a laugh and a joke. He's mentioned in the past that his dad reads the newspapers." Arend Slothit the headlinesin January when Arne revealed his dad was not impressed with the way the Reds performed in the 2-1 Champions League win over Lille. "When I called him after the game he says, 'ah, it wasn't as exciting as other games of Liverpool'," said Arne at the time. Doyle adds: "I haven't seen him snap in press conferences but if he doesn't believe a question is fair he'll make a point of addressing that fact. "He always says 'this season we've basically got what we deserved' whether it's after a win over Real Madrid in the Champions League or defeat by Newcastle in the League Cup final." Westerveld was at Goodison Park in February when Slot was shown a red card after a dramatic Merseyside derby ended 2-2, with Everton equalising in the 98th minute. "He looked really angry when he walked off the pitch and then he saw me and straight away he smiled," he adds. "It's like I said before... he doesn't get too down. He's exactly the same as he was in his first coaching role at Cambuur." Away from football in the Netherlands, Slot used to relax by playing golf with Westerveld, but since moving to Liverpool he keeps fit playing racquet sport padel with his backroom staff at the training ground. "Go home, eat, take the computer out, watch the training session back, prepare for the next meeting," said Slot - whose family have remained in the Netherlands - earlier this season when asked what he does after training. "He's clearly a brilliant coach... and a serious minded person," adds Atkinson. "His reaction to getting knocked out of the Champions League by Paris St-Germain wasn't to bemoan the referee or blame injuries. "He said it was thebest game he had ever coached in.He has shown genuine humility while simultaneously having a real sense of confidence in himself, his coaching staff and players." Liverpool fans have taken Slot to their hearts Not since they were champions in the early 1980s have Liverpool won back-to-back league titles. Assuming they do go on to complete the job, will they build on this season's incredible success? While there has been no need for a rebuild in 2024-25, Slot is expected to be active in the transfer market to ensure Liverpool are in a strong position next season. Although Salah has signed anew two-year contractand captain Virgil van Dijk has also committed his future, England international Alexander-Arnold isexpected to move to Real Madrid. Reported Liverpool targets include Newcastle's Sweden forward Alexander Isak and Bournemouth's Hungary left-back Milos Kerkez. "I refuse to believe Slot will allow standards to slip next season," adds Atkinson. "I think they'll break 80 points again - and if you do that you have every chance of being in the conversation for the title." Westerveld will be at Anfield on 25 May, when Liverpool host Crystal Palace on the final day of the season, in the hope of seeing his friend and former team-mate show off the Premier League trophy. "To come from coaching in the Netherlands to the Premier League... I didn't expect it to be so easy for him to adapt," he admits. "At the start of the season I used to send him a message to congratulate him after a win. Then I sent him a message saying, 'I'm not going to congratulate anymore because it's getting boring'." This video can not be played I want to keep Liverpool at the top - Slot