As the 2024/2025 Premier League season races towards its climax, Liverpool Football Club finds itself once again challenging at the very top, likely to win their 20th league title to once again share the perch alongside Manchester United. Under the guidance of Arne Slot, who took on the Liverpool job following Jürgen Klopp’s emotional departure last summer, the Reds have maintained a formidable presence, tasting only their second league defeat at the weekend vs Jon’s Fulham. Yet, while Slot occupies the manager’s office at the AXA Training Centre, the success enjoyed on the pitch this season feels less like the dawn of a new era, and more like the powerful, lingering echo of the previous one. And while Slot has impacted the success on the pitch this season, the fingerprints of Jürgen Klopp are still very clearly imprinted on this team.
The Klopp Foundation
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- Jurgen Klopp – the coach you wish you had
Credit: Liverpool FC
When Klopp departed Anfield, he left behind more than just trophies and memories. He left a meticulously constructed machine, a deeply ingrained tactical identity, and an unwavering winning mentality; his aptly named “Mentality Monsters”. These are not elements that evaporate in a season. The core of the team currently competing for honours was largely assembled and moulded by Klopp. Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker, Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold (even if he is likely to feck off to Real Madrid at the end of the season), Alexis MacAllister, all Jurgen Klopp’s players, and all pillars of the squad this season. Their world-class abilities, leadership, and understanding of what it takes to win at the highest level were honed under Klopp’s demanding stewardship. Even the younger players like Conor Bradley, Curtis Jones, and to a lesser extent, Harvey Elliott, breaking through or contributing significantly, often had their initial pathways paved during Klopp’s watchful eye, benefiting from his faith in youth development. Furthermore, the tactical framework still fundamentally relies on the principles Klopp drilled into the squad for nearly nine years. The high-intensity pressing, the quick transitions, the relentless energy – these hallmarks haven’t vanished. Players who have spent years mastering this system don’t simply unlearn it. They operate within its familiar rhythms, a muscle memory forged through countless training sessions and high-stakes matches under their former charismatic leader.
Beyond tactics and personnel, Klopp’s influence persists in the intangible connection between the team and the fans who grace Anfield every weekend or so. The belief, the noise, the refusal to give up – these were cultivated over years of shared triumphs and tribulations under Klopp. Yes, the fans have embraced Slot, but the atmosphere and the unwavering support are still largely powered by the energy and memories forged during the Klopp era, an answer to Klopp’s call at the end of last season to support the new manager, as Klopp sang to the fans, “Nah nah, Na Na Na Na, ARNE SLOT!”. That unique Anfield factor, so crucial in tight title races, remains a potent weapon sharpened under previous management.
Slot’s Role: Custodian, Not Creator (Yet)
This is not to diminish Arne Slot’s capabilities. Taking over from a figure as monumental as Klopp was one of the toughest jobs in football. Slot has navigated this pressure admirably, keeping the team competitive and focused. He has introduced his own nuances, subtle shifts in formation or pressing triggers, and deserves credit for managing the transition smoothly. His biggest success within the squad this season, it could be argued, is Ryan Gravenberch, a peripheral figure under Klopp, but a regular starter this season in the crucial number 6 role, a role Gravenberch was not brought in to fill, but has done so as if he was born to play there. However, the current success still feels like the result of Slot expertly managing the machine he inherited, rather than building a new one from scratch. He is benefiting from the foundations, the winning culture, and the elite player base established before his arrival. The challenge for Slot will come later – how does he evolve this team, implement his distinct vision, and build his own legacy? It remains to be seen if Slot can mould this squad in his image, and step out from behind Klopp’s massive shadow that still endures over the Kop. For now, he appears to be a capable custodian of Klopp’s creation. The summer will tell its own tale, with Liverpool likely to busy in the transfer market, out of necessity if not by choice. Next season, the expectations will be higher than this season.
Gary Cronin – April 2025
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